Rain or Shine, Our Summer Meals Program Still Delivers

August 4, 2016

By Joanna Scatasti, Communications Intern 

Storm clouds and muggy weather caused a small turnout at Wilton Park on Monday, but that didn’t change how appreciative the two young girls who did show up were.  Samantha, a site coordinator, and George, one of the Food Bank’s drivers, stepped up to the plate after the originally scheduled staff couldn’t make it.  They handed out chicken salad, fruit cups, chocolate milk, juice boxes and bread sticks.

The program is all made possible thanks to a generous grant from Giant Food’s Our Family Foundation!

“You missed it! There were like twelve kids here last week,” Samantha said.  Samantha and George typically don’t go out to meal sites unless they’re really needed. However, Samantha noticed that there were a lot more kids last week than this week so far.  Surely the weather is to blame.

While most of the kids who receive these meals weekly are appreciative, the girls at Wilton Park were a little different.  They were kind, soft-spoken, and sung praises about how grateful they were for Samantha and George.  They even opened up about how they were soon leaving for Georgia and were hopeful that they could see Samantha and George again before they embarked on their road trip.

It’s easy to make a lasting impression on kids like the two girls who came to Wilton Park, and both Samantha and George are appreciative of their opportunity to do that.  “I really enjoy this,” George said in regards to his time as a summer meals driver.  Hopefully he and Samantha are able to meet more hungry children in the area so that they can continue to make an impact.

Free meals are still available through mid-August! To find a meal site near you, dial 2-1-1, text FOOD to 877-877 or visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks.