When board members of CONNECT Linn County (CLC) learned the Central Linn School District would not be able to offer the Summer Lunch Program this year, they stepped in to fill the plate and ended up feeding anyone who wanted a meal.
“This year the Central Linn School District was hit hard when the community found out the summer enrichment program and the summer lunch program wouldn’t be funded, so we came together and came up with a plan for the kids to be able to gather and to make sure the families that relied so much on these programs feel heard, fed and taken care of,” said CLC Board Member Tishana “Tika” Harrison.
Every summer, the school district would supply a lunch to students and an additional to-go bag for the kids so they had something else at home, Brownsville parent Jordan Buckland said.
However, CLC, which formed as a nonprofit last November, couldn’t figure out how to get a meal to the kids who normally would’ve taken advantage of the school program. So, Board Member Karmel Curtis said, they decided to turn it into an evening meal for the whole community at no charge.
CLC offered weekly “Dinner at the Brownsville Park” in July and August, with occasional provisions of entertainment such as games, car shows and reptiles. Their largest attendance was when they served pulled pork with mac ’n’ cheese, which drew 415 mouths.
“Maybe just having one dinner a night will give them enough of a relief they can save that extra money to do a lunch or dinner at home, and give them a little break,” Curtis said. “We’ve had parents come down and they literally said, ‘I didn’t know how I was going to feed my kids tonight.’ That makes it all worth it.”
Buckland expressed appreciation for CLC’s efforts, adding that, with the school district and community being small and tight-knit, the weekly dinners often meant familiar faces were sure to be seen.
“This is helping a lot for everybody in the community, which is nice,” she said.
Buckland also turns it into a teachable moment by having her daughter put a cash donation into the tip jar.
“I think this is awesome that they have taken their time to volunteer to bring it together and get everyone out here,” Buckland said. “They do a lot for our community already.”
Beside offering food and fellowship once a week, CLC also exists to gather hygiene supplies for schools, stock the local food pantry, organize food and clothing drives for those in need, create volunteer opportunities for people, and bring entertainment during the holidays.
“We are a group of four women who saw a need in our community and jumped up to help the best way we knew how,” Harrison said.
In addition to Harrison and Curtis, the other board members are Melissa Dalebout and Leise Rolfe.
“The need” the women saw was a need to provide resources and to “fill in the gaps” between the big events Brownsville has, such as Pioneer Picnic and the Antique Fair, Curtis said. They also wanted to form a group that was family-friendly for volunteers with children, a group where the volunteers could include their children in the work.
That goal was clearly achieved when, at one of the dinners, a group of children were seen nearly fighting for the chance to take a dirty dish and wash it.
A multitude of sponsors made the dinners possible, including many from Sweet Home, and the dinners were held in partnership with Chandra Evans, the early literacy program coordinator. School staff joined in to help make the meals, giving them an opportunity to connect during the summer to the children they serve, Curtis said.
Whether CLC continues its “Dinner at the Brownsville Park” remains to be seen, but Curtis said it’s already starting to feel like a tradition.
To make that happen, they will need continued monetary and volunteer support. For more information, or to see what other opportunities CLC has, visit ConnectLinnCounty.net.
The board wanted it to be clear that their dinners were not just for families with children; they were for everyone in Linn County. It was an opportunity for people to connect to others, to their community. As announced on their social media page, “It’s all about coming together, sharing food, and building connections.”
Buckland probably said it best when she said, “It’s just really a good way for all of us to get together for a minute and just enjoy.”