One in six children in the state of Texas is currently facing food insecurity. That means that right now, in a classroom of 30 children, five of them are experiencing hunger. You may be familiar with our summer lunch program, Feed Our Kids, which provides free lunches to children who rely on their schools to provide a midday meal during the school year. But did you know that GRACE also hosts Feed Our Kids during spring break?
After spending the morning at City Sports camp, children arrived at the two lunch sites with big appetites, and our friends from First Baptist Grapevine and First Grapevine Methodist Church were ready to serve. Longtime supporters of GRACE, these congregations were delighted to serve for this year’s spring break edition of Feed Our Kids.
Children received lunches, but it doesn’t end there. Volunteers brought games, bubbles, chalk, and even art supplies so that attendees could make bunny crafts just in time for Easter! There was even a large donation of used books, so children could browse and choose their favorites to take home. To top it off, the weather was just perfect – warm temperatures, cool breezes, and lots of sunshine! We couldn’t have asked for a better spring break.
The Feed Our Kids program offers even more benefits than those on the surface. When it comes to our faithful volunteers, Beth Chernik, Seasonal Program Coordinator, had this to say: “The community at both churches is just amazing. The guardians love the social time just as much as the kids love running around and spending time with their friends.”
Throughout the summer program, strangers serving together get to know each other, children that attend the same schools but are in different classes or grade levels become friends, and lasting memories are made. “We offer a place for them to create their own community,” Beth adds. “We offer them the space, and the food that brings them together.”
558 lunches were served the week of Spring Break. As always, we are astounded and humbled by the generosity of our volunteer partners and their willingness to serve and make a difference in the lives of these children. We extend an enormous thank you to all who were involved!
Do you want in on the fun? Do you have a church group, staff team, or maybe a friend group that wants to serve lunches this summer? For more information and to get signed up, contact Beth Chernik at bchernik@GRACEGrapevine.org. We can’t wait to see you this summer!
