Fellowship Cup lunch program winding up for another summer

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

The Fellowship Cup?s Summer Sacks program is gearing up for another summer, and Fellowship Cup director, Ken Brown, says it?s all hands on deck in preparation for the program?s roll-out.

?We are now in full swing,? said Brown of the program?s preparation, ?We expect to average about 230 kids a day once we get started on May 31, so yeah, we are expecting another full summer with the program.?

The program strives to provide healthy sack lunches to Henry County children under the age of 18, and will provide lunches to roughly 8,000 local kids once the program concludes on Aug. 19.

According to Brown, the program is open to any local child who fits the age requirements, regardless of family income.

?All parents have to do is call and sign up their child (or children),? Brown says. ?It?s that simple.?

The sack lunches, which are all prepared by local volunteers, consist of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a meat sandwich, fresh fruit, a vegetable, 100 percent fruit juice, and a sweet and salty snack.

Once the program starts, children may come to the Fellowship Cup to pick up their lunch, or pick up their meal from one of the designated pick-up locations around Mt. Pleasant and the county. The program runs Monday through Friday.

?In addition to the sack pick-up, we also try to have a weekly event so the kids who come to the Fellowship Cup to pick up their meal can also come do some kind of craft or activity,? said Brown. ?We have about 100 kids that come just to the Fellowship Cup every day to pick up their lunch.?

As with every year of the Summer Sacks program, Brown says volunteers to either assemble the lunches, or donate food or funds to the program are still needed.

Recently, the Mt. Pleasant Duplicate Bridge Club gave a donation to the Fellowship Cup following a tournament weekend. ?I?d like to thank you for the continued support the community gives the Fellowship Cup,? said Brown while receiving the donation. ?I?ve been all over the world and Mt. Pleasant? Henry County is unique in giving. This will go a long way for the summer sacks.?

As for volunteers to assemble the lunches, they may sign up as individuals or as a group, while donations can be dropped off at the Fellowship Cup office in Mt. Pleasant.

Items that are still needed to run the program include 100 percent juice boxes, plastic sandwich bags, brown paper lunch sacks, canned meat, canned fruit and grape jelly.

In addition, the Fellowship Cup is looking for volunteers who would be interested in decorating lunch bags or making small keepsakes or cards that children can receive as part of their lunch.

?We need about four to six volunteers a day to run the program,? said Brown. ?And I will say, we really do appreciate everyone that donates to the program. Local churches, businesses and some various social groups have been fantastic.?

As the program has been a staple at the Fellowship Cup for several years now, Brown says it?s good to know that kids who need it are getting a balanced lunch once school is let out for the summer.

?Many parents and their kids depend on that lunch during the school year. So, once school is let out, parents are sometimes left wondering how they are going to give their kids a good lunch during the summer. That?s where this program has really stepped in and made a difference,? he said.

To learn more about volunteering or donating to the program, or to sign up to receive lunches, call the Fellowship Cup at 319-385-3242, or stop by their office at 203 North Jefferson Street, in Mt. Pleasant.