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.