BRATTLEBORO — From your editorial about hunger in Vermont [March 30], it's clear that many people in Vermont and here in Windham County have a difficult time providing food for their families. There are government programs and local nonprofits trying to help bridge this gap.
The Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro has been providing free dinners to area youth for over four years. Initially, our staff saw club members eating large amounts of after-school snacks and stuffing snacks in their pockets to take home, where there was not enough food.
We started our dinner program by serving what our staff could prepare using a microwave and a Crock-Pot. Support from the Vermont Foodbank, Windham Housing Trust, and local donors and volunteers helped us renovate our kitchen. The club now serves nutritious meals four nights a week.
We often serve more than 70 dinners a night and usually more than 250 per week.
Our Tuesday dinner, followed by an educational program, is a joint project with Youth Services. It's open to youth up to 22 years of age. Parents and younger children are invited to come to the Thursday night dinner and eat with their teenagers. Some youth have dinner at the club because their parents work late and are not home at mealtime; for others, there may not be enough food at home.
Hunger is a serious issue in our community. I urge your readers to consider ways to volunteer or financially support some of the programs that are trying to help.