The Jamieson Community Center’s program, “Weekend Meals”, ensures that children K-6 in Warren county are eating safe, healthy meals over the weekend.
The food from the program comes from River Bed Food Bank, and meals include whole grain cereals and crackers, shelf stable milk and protein, and come in a wide variety of different meals that kids can eat when their families may be struggling to provide for them.
The meals can be requested by a parent or guardian by contacting their children’s councilor, and 95% of applicants qualify for the program. Teachers may also recommend the program to students who exhibit the classic signs of hunger, such as lack of focus, and emotional faitgue.
Nancy Mowen, Executive Director of the Jamieson Center, explains the importance of programs like “Weekend Meals” to Warren county, talking about how much the area has changed over the years…
“I can speak to what I’ve seen in the time that I’ve been here, and when I started at Jamieson Community Center, Warren county had one of the highest food insecurity rates of the surrounding counties. We now have the lowest. We have the lowest! That doesn’t mean we’re done though, that doesn’t mean we’re done, because we still have 15% of children facing food insecurity.”
The Jamieson Center is looking to expand the program to Junior High school students in the near future, and encourages anyone with financial challenges to apply.
