Summer food program planning is underway

To The Eagle:

Plans are underway for an exciting summer lunch program for kids in Wahkiakum County. Last year, an army of volunteers and generous donations enabled us to offer a free five-week program that served more than 400 meals and provided free books every day. The challenge we have taken on for 2019 is to do more. In addition to serving more meals, we want to offer activities to beat the summer boredom blues.

Our free summer program for 2019 is called Outdoor Café. Efforts are underway to offer a variety of volunteer directed activities alongside healthy meals and donated produce from the school garden. Volunteer recruitment is happening now! Helping hands that can prepare meals and/or engage with kids are needed. We have a great financial base, but people power is critical to pulling it off. Safety is a high priority and all volunteers that work with kids will be required to pass the Washington State Background Check. This is no cost to you. School Superintendent Brent Freeman is actively involved in the coordination of this program.

If you have an idea for a craft activity, i.e. birdhouse building, rock painting or kite construction and would like to help, please contact Craft Coordinator Carol Geil at carol.geil@gmail.com. You can lead the activity or donate materials.

If you would like to donate books, then please reach out to Book Coordinator Pearl Blackburn at pearl.blackburn@gmail.com. We are looking for books appropriate for all ages.

Music makes the world a happier place and those that would like to share their musical talent in some way are encouraged to get in touch with Music Coordinator MaryAnn Nelson at manelson@teleport.com. Anybody up for a kazoo band?

Ginger Hake is our game coordinator and she’s on the lookout for games that can be loaned/shared/donated for kids to play. Indoor board games and outdoor games like croquet and corn hole would be great. Ginger can be found at hakeg@co.wahkiakum.wa.us.

If you just want to ask questions or learn more about this program you can get in touch with Debbie Lincoln at deborah.lincoln@gmail.com or Suzanne Holmes at billsueholmes@msn.com.

Mark your calendars, our next planning meeting is 1 p.m. on May 2 at the Cathlamet Community Center. More details on dates and location(s) will be provided then. "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Helen Keller.

Suzanne Holmes

Puget Island