Summer youth meals program starts July 5

Starting July 5, any child 18 and under will be able to enjoy a free lunch in the multi-purpose room at J.A. Wendt Elementary School in Cathlamet. The summer food program will be available on Mondays through Thursdays until August 17.

Lunch will be served from 12-12:30 p.m., but the Multi-purpose Room will remain open until 1 p.m. to allow the youth time to finish their meals.

So far, 11 volunteers have been trained to cook, serve and provide quality control. They will also be there to provide supervision for the children as they eat.

To be eligible for this program, which is reimbursed by the USDA, 50 percent of the students in the school district have to be receiving meals at a free or reduced price.

“We’re at 53 percent at Wahkiakum School District,” Danielle Hobbs, the wife of a local pastor and the director of the program said. “We know there is a need. We have hungry kids in our community. We want to feed them.”

This issue has long been on Hobbs’ heart. It was when she stopped by Health and Human Services to talk about it, she found out that Director Sue Cameron had been wanting to get a program like this going for years.

The program is required to follow USDA guidelines regarding food selection and portion sizes. They will be reimbursed for every ingredient used that is on the list of acceptable food items by the USDA. The local program will have to pay for anything else.

Like pickles.

“What’s a tuna fish sandwich without pickles?” Hobbs asked. “We buy everything we need. If the meal fits their qualifications, USDA will reimburse us for each plate we serve.”

Several local businesses have joined in. Coupons will be handed out on Tuesdays, and children can take them to the appropriate business in exchange for a cookie or a brownie or ice cream, depending on what the particular business provides that day. On Thursdays, children will be given a plastic cup and lid which they can take to Maria’s for a little soda.

Wednesday will be devoted to a little extra fun, so far undefined.

“I’m calling this my snapshot year,” Hobbs said. “It’s just under seven weeks. We want to see if it’s a benefit to local children, see how it goes and make adjustments from there.”

Wahkiakum on the Move has joined in, too. At 11:45 they will pick up kids at the Skamokawa Fairgrounds and transport them to JA Wendt for lunch. Afterwards, the children can stay and go to the pool.

“It’ll be good,” Hobbs said. “It’s an adventure. I’m excited about all the input I’ve already had from the community. People seem to be excited about it.

For more information or to make a donation call Hobbs at 849-4412 or contact her by email at wahkiakumsummerfood@gmail.com.