The Lunch Wagon summer meals program begins Thursday in Wabash County, marking the start of its ninth year serving free lunches to children across the county.
Organizer Melissa Smith says the program was inspired by a desire to make sure children in Allendale had access to food during the summer months. Smith says she and her husband first started helping families out of their home before expanding into the current Lunch Wagon program in 2018.
Smith says the program now serves children ages 0 to 18 throughout Wabash County using a wagon-style setup similar to an ice cream truck, along with additional truck routes and serving locations.
She says the effort is made possible entirely through community support, volunteers, and local donations.
The Lunch Wagon begins service Thursday, May 28th, one day after the end of the school year in Wabash District 348. Meals will be served Thursday and Friday this week, then continue Monday through Friday through July 31st.
Stops in Mount Carmel include Cherry Street Estates at 10:30, Mount Carmel Elementary School at 11:15, Lambert Drive at noon, and the Mount Carmel Free Methodist Church on Poplar Street at 12:45. Meals will also be available at the Mount Carmel High School pavilion at 12:45.
Smith says families in Bellmont and Keensburg should note a schedule change this year. Bellmont meals will now be served from 11:15 to 11:45, while Keensburg service will run from noon to 12:30.
An additional serving location will again operate from the Allendale First Christian Church.
Smith says the Lunch Wagon program is specifically for children ages 0 to 18, but families needing additional food assistance are encouraged to ask volunteers for help connecting with other local resources.
