BELLOWS FALLS — Our Place Drop-in Center has come up with a way to help school children fill the food gaps on weekends when they don't have access to free lunches.
The Weekend Food Program for Kids is a special food pantry that children can visit on Friday afternoon to stock up on healthy snacks they carry home in a donated string bag.
Items available can include popcorn packets, 100 percent fruit juice, orange juice, milk, granola bars, raisins, small soups, dried fruit, trail mix, fresh fruit, cereal, frozen ravioli, and macaroni and cheese.
There is also a shelf of books from which kids can choose.
Our Place director Lisa Pitcher reports that as many as 13 children, some with and some without parents, have shown up, including middle school students.
“We try to reach them through the schools and to let them know it's not just a summer program,” she said. “We're open until 4:30 p.m., but we'll stay open at least until 5 for parents who are working.”
The program was originally funded through the Our Place budget, but grants from TransCanada and the Windham Foundation are supporting it now.
“Mothers say it's a lifesaver,” Pitcher said. “It's great for kids to have food for the weekend that they pick out themselves.”
Filling the Opera House
Our Place hopes to fill every seat at the Bellows Falls Opera House with a bag of groceries on Thursday, Sept. 26.
“Overflow the Opera House” is the tagline for the event being coordinated by WKVT Radio as a way to stock the shelves at Our Place with groceries and personal care items.
Volunteers will be on hand from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. so donors can drive by and hand off their donations without getting out of the car. WKVT will also be broadcasting live to remind listeners of the event and highlight the work of Our Place.
The food drive is similar to a successful one WKVT hosts annually for the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro.
Sponsors of the Bellows Falls event are J & H Hardware, The Richards Group, and River Valley Credit Union.
Items especially needed are tuna, pasta, pasta sauce, peanut butter, soup, rice, canned meats, canned fruits and veggies, baby food, juice, cereal, feminine hygiene supplies, diapers, formula, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, and soap.