Church Joins With Teachers to Provide Meals

Members of the Presbyterian Church have joined with a group of teachers to feed five local families during the summer who have been hit especially hard by the economy.

It’s a case of the economic downturn taking a worse turn for these five families, according to Denise Williams, Pacific Presbyterian Church pastor.

“These families were having an especially hard time feeding themselves,” Williams said.

It was the teachers at a local school who became aware of the circumstances and said they were especially worried about the children.

“When school is in session, the children eat breakfast and lunch at school,” Williams said. “But they’re deprived of those meals during the summer months. It was the teachers whowere looking for a way to feed these families that was brought to our church’s attention.”

Their plans coincided with a desire of the Presbyterian Church to provide a summer Dinner With Us program.

Working together in the church kitchen each Monday afternoon, teachers and church members prepare fresh cooked meals for a family of four to six, which are delivered to the families along with enough groceries for the entire week.

“It’s really working out well,” Williams said. “We try to give them a fresh, healthy prepared meal on Monday. Some of the teachers bring things like milk or eggs, things they might not have.”

The program will continue until the Monday before school starts.

“Once the kids are in school, they’ll have breakfast and lunch there,” Williams said.

Anyone wishing to participate in the program can donate cash to the fund or deliver groceries to the Presbyterian Church service building on Fourth Street on Mondays between 3:30 and 6 p.m.

Checks should be made to the Pacific Presbyterian Church, with a note that it is for the Dinner on Us program.