United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) is proud to announce its free summer lunch program, Meet Up and Chow Down, will be available to Cook-area children starting July 25th.
Free Meet Up and Chow Down lunches will be available to all children ages 0-18 from 12 pm to 1 pm Monday through Thursday at the Cook Public Library, rain or shine.
Lunches will be prepared by Zup’s and will be distributed by volunteers from Scenic Rivers Health Services, Cook Hospital, and Cook's Country Connection.
“We are incredibly excited to expand this program to Cook and so grateful for the local partnerships that made it possible,” said UWNEMN Executive Director Erin Shay. “With such a huge service area and limited staff we would never be able to feed as many children across the region as we will this summer without the help of volunteers like the ones in Cook.”
UWNEMN’s Meet Up and Chow Down lunches will be available at the Cook Public Library Monday-Thursday July 25th through September 1st. In addition to free lunches, UWNEMN’s “Summer Buddy Backpacks” will also be available to children at the Cook Public Library on Thursdays.
“Summer Buddy Backpacks” are take-home meal kits that include enough food for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks and are free for any children under the age of 18.
“These meal kits are a new addition to Meet Up and Chow Down sites this summer thanks to the support of an anonymous donor,” said UWNEMN Community Impact Coordinator Michelle Lampton. “Each year, donors and volunteers bring us one step closer to ensuring no local child goes hungry.”
Meet Up and Chow Down is made free to local children through a partnership between UWNEMN the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Minnesota Department of Education’s Summer Food Service Program and follows USDA and MDE guidelines. To learn more, click here.