Elgin offers free lunches to kids this summer

Submitted by City of Elgin

The Elgin Parks and Recreation Department, Northern Illinois Food Bank and several local churches are teaming up to provide free nutritious lunches to the youth of Elgin this summer.

“We want to make sure that children in Elgin are eating lunches on a daily basis and that the lunches they are eating are nutritious as well,” said Elgin Parks and Recreation Director Randy Reopelle.

The lunches will be provided Monday through Friday through Aug. 17 to Elgin-area children ages 18 and younger from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at various locations throughout the city. The lunches are being provided free by the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

“Every child should be able to count on at least one nutritious meal a day,” Reopelle said.

“With Elgin’s unemployment still well above the state and national averages, coupled with the fact that so many children won’t have access to the free lunch programs during the summer typically provided at the schools, we see a true need to provide children access to a nutritious lunch every day.”

Lunch program site sponsors are the City of Elgin, the Salvation Army, Harvest Bible Church, Bethesda Church of God in Christ, Christ Community Church, Elgin Community Church and Second Baptist Church.

“There will be no paperwork and no registration required,” Reopelle said. “If children are hungry and show up, they can eat lunch. All park sites have a picnic shelter, so rain or shine kids will be fed.”

Lunches will be provided at the following locations throughout the city’s neighborhoods:

Ÿ Eastside Recreation Center, 1080 E. Chicago St.

Ÿ Clara Howard Park, Fremont St.

Ÿ Salvation Army, 316 Douglas Ave.

Ÿ St. Francis Park, Jefferson Avenue and Center St.

Ÿ Buena Vista Townhomes, 1285 Fleetwood Drive.

Ÿ Cornerstone Park, 1540 Mulberry Lane.

Ÿ Elgin Community Church, 991 Deborah St.

Ÿ Harriet Gifford School, 240 S. Clifton Ave.

Ÿ Clifford/Owasco Park, 825 Clifford St.

Ÿ Buena Vista Apartments Clubhouse, 1285 Fleetwood Drive.

Elgin’s Parks and Recreation Department works to create community through people, parks and programs. Annually, the department offers hundreds of programs and services to thousands of families and children in the Elgin area.