On December 20, members and guests enjoyed our Holiday Lunch at Lincoln South Rotary Club.
Musical entertainment was provided by Crosseyed - a male singing group from the Sheridan Lutheran Church - they were very talented and entertaining. Members are
Doug Malone, Galen Boldt, Eric Bostrom and Russell Pahre.
We got an update from Michaella Kumke of the Food Bank of Lincoln.Some stats from last year:
- - 8 million pounds of food was distributed
- - 34% of that is fresh produce
- - $1 donation can be turned into 3 meals (due to the connections of the Food Bank
- - 88 schools are involved in the back pack program
- - 2251 back packs are packed and distributed weekly (1800 of those in Lincoln public schools and some parochial schools)
- - $250 will fill a back pack for an entire school year
- - Food Markets are relatively new and allow kids to pick items from the table with no need to pack in back packs
- - 34% of children in the Lincoln Public Schools program are on the free or reduced meal program - so there is a real need
Michaela talked about how important it is for us to get the food to our children - while they are developing and learning - but they can't do that if they are hungry or worried about when they will get their next meal.
She shared a recent experience in a rural community. She was talking with one of the volunteers who shared that he was one of the students at Lincoln East and used the Food Market. Now that he is graduated from college he is paying back because he knows what it is like to be on the other side of the table. He thought it was amusing that he was "on cereal duty" - passing out the cereal. He shared a memory of the Food Market - when he got to take home a box of Frosted Flakes - name brand cereal - and it meant so much to him.