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Free Summer Meals for Kids Opens June 27th
When school ends this week, summer meals begin! Enfield children and their parents will have a cool place to eat free lunches and enjoy enri
Free Summer Meals for Kids Opens June 27th
ENFIELD—When school ends this week, summer meals begin! Enfield children and their parents will have a cool place to eat free lunches and enjoy enrichment activities this summer. Summer Lunch Bunch will operate Monday through Friday, June 27th through August 19th from 11-12:45 pm at St. Patrick’s Hall, 64 Pearl Street in Enfield.
Summer Lunch Bunch is a free USDA lunch program for children to age 18. Children and families do not need to register to attend; however, children under age 5 must be accompanied by a parent. Last year, Summer Lunch Bunch served over 3,600 meals in the air conditioned hall.
Claire Hall, ERfC Executive Director, said parents attending Summer Lunch Bunch with their children will also be provided with a free lunch this summer. A grant from MassMutual Life Insurance Company, through its first employee giving program called Mutual Impact, will provide free meals to parents attending with their children.
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Hall said, “Funding from the grant helps to address food insecurity in Enfield. In addition to feeding school-age children, part of the Healthy Meals=Healthy Minds initiative is to feed parents to help insure that toddlers and pre-school children under age 5 eat lunch every day.”
Ryan Obedzinski, Manager of Community Engagement & Partnerships, said “The summer is filled with special guests and activities to keep kids engaged and learning during the summer.” Activities begin at 11:00 am and lunch will be served from 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm daily. Obedzinski said parents and children do not need to attend activities to receive a free lunch.
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On Tuesdays, Summer Lunch Bunch volunteer Michele Wilcox, a teacher at Hazardville Memorial School in Enfield, will keep math skills fresh through various games and activities, including hopscotch.
Michelle Mattia, a registered dietitian and In Store Nutrition Expert at ShopRite of Enfield/ Miller Farms Family Markets, will make several visits with hands-on tasting and nutrition activities based on sensory food characteristics including sweet, savory, salty, spicy, crunchy & creamy.
Obedzinski said this summer, children and their families will oversee the care of four Summer Lunch Bunch garden beds at St. Patrick’s. “From planting to weeding, they will experience what is needed to take care of a garden in order to produce fresh herbs and vegetables,” he said.
Integrity Martial Arts from Enfield will be available for martial arts demonstration on July 13th and August 4th. Obedzinski said children will participate in small group martial arts activities.
A Community Information Center will be available throughout the summer. Community providers are invited to share information about their services to Enfield families. Service providers will include the Enfield Family Resource Center, Allied’s Attic, the Enfield Housing Authority, Magic Carpet/Enfield Transit Outreach, The Network, Allied Community Services/Rehabilitation Serves and the Parent Leadership Academy (PLA). In addition, The Foodshare Mobile Food Truck will also be at the St. Patrick’s parking lot on July 1, 15, 29 and August 12 from 12:45 pm - 1:15 pm
Case management services will also be available to enroll families in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and to connect families to community resources. In addition to Summer Lunch Bunch, SNAP enrollment services will also be available at The Enfield Food Shelf on Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoons.
Obedzinski said there are many volunteer opportunities available throughout the summer. Volunteers assist in activities, help the children tend to the garden, and distribute lunches. Individuals, church groups, businesses, organizations, and youth leadership groups are invited to volunteer. Volunteer applications are available on the ERfC website at www.erfc.us.
Summer Lunch Bunch, administered by Educational Resources for Children Inc., also known as ERfC, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has been providing out-of-school time programs and activities for Enfield children and their families since 1994. For more information about Summer Lunch Bunch, how to volunteer, provide community resources and services, or to make a donation, please call Ryan Obedzinski at 860-253-9935 or contact by email robedzinski@erfc.us.
