Make a difference in our community.
As we head into another summer of Summer Food Service Programs, or as we lovingly call it, "Lunch Bunch", we are excited!
When we started this program in 2017, there were a lot of days that we fed 0 to 5 kids. We were in one location and the young folks we had lunch with taught us a lot about birds and chess. Fast forward to 2023, we are now in three communities: Aurora, Marquette, and Central City. We feed over a 100 kids every day along with playing kick ball, having intense checkers and Connect Four battles, and enjoying all thier stories.
Not only this, but we have introduced over 2000 student leaders to service leadership through our D4LC (Discipline for Leadership Communities) programs. Any student that attend one of our D4LC programs in the summer partakes in the opportunities to develop and facilitate enrichment activities and serve our Lunch Bunch Friends meals too! It's often their favorite and most impactful time!
Everyday, our team at The Leadership Center, prepares, cookes, packs and sends out over a hundred meals, to feed our Lunch Bunch Friends. Our team helps at all three locations too.
To say the "Lunch Bunch" program inspires each day to serve is an under statement. This program impacts our community, our team, our guests, and our Lunch Bunch friends beyond measure.
Donations to support this program literally changes lives. Thank you!
Real change starts with you.
You have the power to donate your time or money to positively impact the lives of everyone we serve. Even a small donation can make a big difference. Thanks for taking the time to consider donating to our cause to help better our community.
Some have asked why donations are needed if we get goverment funds. We spend on average $5.25 per meal we serve and that is just food and labor prep. That is no service hours, mileage, administuration, enrichment, etc. We get $4.48 per meal served. Not prepared, SERVED. So if we go to Aurora, Marquette, and Central City and serve every meal we made, we get paid for every meal. If we prepare 20 meals and serve 7, we get paid for 7.
Last year (2022), we served over 4,000 meals. We receved a little over $17,000 from the NDE/USDA funding. This year (2023), we served a total of 5,852 meals. Once our meal claims through the Nebraska Department of Education's SFSP process, we should receive a total of $26,982.45. Our costs will total between $43,000 - $46,000. Any donations to help offset the costs of the program, is greatly appreciated. When you donate, you do more than provide a meal. You help provide a positive place with engaged adults and student leaders. You help provide enrichment. You help provide community. You help make a real difference.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
