Salvation Army of Waukesha To Provide Meals For School-Aged Kids
CONTACT:
Dana Baumgartner, Social Services Director
262-875-4567
dana.baumgartner@usc.salvationarmy.org
“Feed the Kids” Lunches Are Collaboration between Schools and Salvation Army
Three full weeks of lunches for hungry children off of school because of virus precautions
WAUKESHA - While Waukesha Schools continue to offer breakfast and lunch ‘take away” meals for school children the rest of this week and during the week of March 30th, The Salvation Army Waukesha will offer meals during what had been scheduled as Spring Break-- Monday through Friday, March 23rd - 27th 2020.
By order of Wisconsin Governor, Tony Evers, schools throughout Wisconsin are closed until April 6th.
The Waukesha Salvation Army will be serving free bag lunches to 200-300 children and their caretakers, daily from 11:45am-12:30pm via the charity’s mobile kitchen, at the City of Waukesha’s “Sentinel Park,” near Wal-Mart on the south side.
“Without these efforts to provide lunch, the children who receive free or reduced price meals at school might otherwise go hungry,” explained Dana Baumgartner, local Salvation Army social services director.
“During this week, our modest sack lunch between 11:45am and 12:30pm may be, for many, their only full meal of the day in families for which ‘food insecurity’ is an issue,” Baumgartner said.
The Waukesha County Salvation Army’s “Feed-The-Kids” program operates not only during Spring break but again all summer long, Baumgartner explained. And, at least for now, the Corona Virus precautions mean that The Salvation Army Waukesha will be purchasing food supplies in addition to encouraging public donations of peanut butter, jelly, single serving snack items and juice boxes. The food pantry continues to accept gifts of non-perishable food staples.
“The best and easiest way to help until the situation changes is through a direct monetary gift mailed to 445 Madison Street, Waukesha 53188 or a gift made via our electronic Text-to-Give program,” stated Corps Officer, Major Timothy Nauta.
Donors can simply use their cell phone to text the word WAUKESHA to 24365 and choose to give in any amount. “Financial support for our Feed the Kids Program is needed now and as we ramp up for our much larger Summer feeding program,” Nauta explained.
Once school is out for the Summer, The Salvation Army Waukesha Monday-through-Friday, from June through August, makes hundreds of sandwiches and packs as many lunches, then loads them all into the center’s “Mobile Kitchen” serving truck. The lunches and drinks are handed out to registrants near the playground at the park, located on Madera Street. Interested persons may learn more at WaukeshaSalvationArmy.org.
The 501c(3) charity’s annual budget is roughly $1.6-million for programs to help meet daily humanitarian needs within Waukesha County, including:
Providing hundreds of free hot evening meals weekly on Tues, Thurs and Sat;
Distributing tens of thousands of donated bakery items and loaves of bread to the poor;
Providing free backpacks of weekend meal food-- for families-- distributed through school;
Operating a popular Summer Day Camp program through its Youth Ministry;
Operating the largest homeless shelter for men in Waukesha County;
Operating a large food pantry;
Operating an Emergency Disaster Services team, called out by the Sheriff’s Department;
Offering varied programs to provide emergency help with prescriptions, utilities, and clothing;
At Christmas, managing a family “Toy Shop” so children in disadvantaged families can enjoy gifts;
Having a canopy booth at each of Waukesha’s ten Friday Night Live events downtown;
Staging a popular 5K run/2-mile walk fundraising event, this year on Saturday, Sept. 12th at 9am;
Producing a series of annual community Christmas Concerts in mid-December; and much more
This is The Salvation Army-Waukesha’s 126th year of service locally in Waukesha County. The 501(c)3 charity was founded local in Waukesha in 1894. More information is available on its Facebook Page or at WaukeshaSalvationArmy.org. The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. The Salvation Army was founded in London, England in 1865.