We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Gavin Schmele, who will begin third grade this fall, shows the school supplies he received in his new backpack. About 80 backpacks were available to students who attended the final picnic hosted by Loaves and Fishes.
Loaves and Fishes, the summer feeding program for kids in Chinook, completed its last week of this summer's activities with the traditional 'thanksgiving luncheon' and a final evening meal that ended with a distribution of school backpacks. This was the sixth summer for the program that is supported by several churches that are a part of the Chinook Ministerial Association and community members who provide volunteer and monetary resources. Organizers say this year's attendance was above average.
Loaves and Fishes runs Monday to Thursday and a meal, prepared by volunteers, is served each day. Activities for the kids follow the meal. The final week concluded the programming and meals for the year.
The last Thursday meal is a traditional "Thanksgiving lunch" with all the trimmings. That included turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, black olives, fresh carrots and cucumbers. Dessert was pumpkin bars. The meal was open to both kids and community and there were 45 kids and 22 adults who enjoyed the thanksgiving lunch.
The last get together
Thursday night the group, with families, gathered at Sweet Park for the final program, a picnic meal and a swim party. Following the theme of the summer Pastor Dennis Findorff, of the Alliance Church, holding a bowl of rice before the kids and families, asked, "Would this be enough supper for you?" Most answered 'no' and he made the point that a bowl of rice is sometimes all people have to eat. He brought the problem of world hunger to the local level and said there is a hunger problem where we live as well.
Jeanne Dalton, director of the Blaine County Food Pantry, described how the pantry helps people who need food locally. She explained that a family can come to the pantry once each quarter, four times a year, and get 15 pounds of food for each member of the family. She said people in the community support the Food Pantry and help keep it stocked. Some donated food comes from the Montana Food Network but the bulk of the food to distribute comes from people in the county.
After the presentation on hunger, a meal was served. The main course was rice with the leftovers from the Thanksgiving lunch. After the meal the school backpacks were distributed for preschoolers to high school students. Pastor Valorie Putt and her daughters Sara and Gwen donated this year's backpacks and supplies. Backpacks and school supplies not distributed at Loaves and Fishes went to local schools and to be given to kids who need school supplies or a pack.
The "Journal" congratulates the Loaves and Fishes organization for their work to feed the kids, and send them off to school with supplies and a backpack.
