Children can get free lunches

Flint's Salvation Army is working with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan to provide free lunches to Flint's young people.

The Picnics in the Park Program provides the lunches at noon Mondays through Fridays in Memorial Park, 1026 Church St. Lunch is available to anyone 18 or younger.

The program will end Aug. 28.

There are a variety of shelf-stable food items available to the children and all are allergen-free. A sample lunch includes turkey sticks, crackers, applesauce, a juice box and milk.  There are other options and each lunch is nutritionally balanced.

There are usually at least three adults available to help watch the children, but childcare is not provided.

There are 15 kids on average, but there have been as many as 26.  Most are elementary school age. After eating, kids are encouraged to play games or use the playground equipment.

Tom and Rachel Wyatt, Salvation Army community ministry coordinators, are the creators of this program. As full-time employees, Tom Wyatt says, "we find needs in the community."

The couple has organized many free events for the community including substance-free concerts and dodge ball games.  They've also helped AmeriCorps build neighborhood playgrounds.

Shawn Flood, Food Bank of Eastern Michigan program coordinator, is the group's connection to funding.  He says there are about 50 such sites in Michigan funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  They are mainly in Flint, Saginaw, Marlette, Midland and Bay City.

As a sponsor, the food bank obtains the food for the program from a company based in Buchanan, Mich.

"We like very much that they're a Michigan-based company." Flood says.

After buying the food, the food bank sends paperwork to the state, which then gets money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to return to the food bank.

"I thought that it was a fantastic idea," Flood said.  "Our sites can be anywhere that kids congregate, and what can be better than a park?  A lot of kids can come down and get the nutrition they need."

He hopes the program can continue next summer and anticipates available funding, "I think their program is one of the sites that has the most potential for growth."

The Wyatts and Kelly Tolcher, a frequent volunteer, are all happy to spend time with the children.  Says Wyatt, "Most of it's not even the food serving, it's the interaction with the kids."

"I love the kids.  I love the ministry of Salvation Army.  It's nice building up relationships out in the community and getting to know people," Tolcher said,