‘Food 4 Kids’ offers free meals from Sutton to Trapper Creek

MAT-SU — Forget what you’ve heard — there is such a thing as a free lunch.

Last summer, the Mat-Su Food Bank’s Food 4 Kids program provided 40,000 free lunches and breakfasts to Mat-Su Borough youth younger than 18.

Volunteers resumed the food service program Wednesday at 16 sites around the Valley — from Sutton to Trapper Creek — through Aug. 15.

“We’re pretty much everywhere,” said Program Director Lynette Ortolano.

Ortolano, Mat-Su Food Bank Executive Director Eddie Ezelle, Mayor Bert Cottle and volunteers gathered to mark the beginning of the summer food service program in Newcomb Park.

Among volunteers were librarian Diane Firmani and teachers Ann Class and Robin Ouellette. Ouellette said it’s the second year the friends have volunteered for Food 4 Kids.

She said it’s a great way to spend time with her friends and see some of her students over the summer months.

Ouellette said she first read about the food program in the Frontiersman. When she saw Newcomb Park was one of the sites, she knew she wanted to be part of the effort, she said.

“He would have loved this so much,” she said of her father Harold Newcomb, who donated the land that is Newcomb Park to the city of Wasilla.

Ortolano said the Newcomb Park site feeds an average of 110 kids 18 and younger every Monday through Friday throughout the 11-week program.

She said some parents and kids arrive together and hang out and chat while their kids eat lunch and play on the playground equipment.

“We see a lot of the same kids from year to year,” Ortolano said.

Handing a sack lunch with an apple, turkey-and-cheese sandwich, broccoli and strawberry milk to one mom, Ortolano notices some of her children aren’t with her today.

“Bring all the kids,” Ortolano reminds her. “Tell everyone you know — we have a lot of food.”

Firmani said she’s glad to see her students here.

“It may be the only balanced meal they eat all day,” she said.

Food 4 Kids serves hot meals to 60 to 75 kids five days a week at the Boys and Girls Club in Wasilla year-round. But during the summer, the food program branches out to serve breakfast and lunch to children younger than 18 at more than a dozen sites.

While school is out, Ortolano said the food program is often the sole source of consistent food for some families.

“Come back and see us again tomorrow,” she told parents and children Wednesday, handing over another brown bag.

Firmani said the attitude of the kids who participate is noteworthy. She said the sack lunches are received with smiles, hugs and genuine thank yous.

“They are so gracious,” the Larson Elementary School librarian said. “They say thank you on their own.”

Country Legends and Janssen Funeral Home also have paired to organize a community coin drive with the goal of collecting a million pennies by mid-August.

Throughout lunch, people arrive carrying donations of change in coffee cans, oversized beer bottles, plastic bags and baskets.

The donation jug will be at Charlotte Hillyer’s new flower shop — Charlotte’s Flowers, 105 E. Arctic Ave., No. 3 — from 4 to 6 p.m., today in Palmer.

Donations will be accepted here for several days before the jug is relocated to another Valley business to collect donations.

To volunteer, contact lmortolano@matsufoodbank.org.

Summer Food 4 Kids locations:

• Wasilla Boys and Girls Club, 3700 E. Bogard Rd., Wasilla

Monday through Friday

10:30 a.m. — breakfast

2 p.m. — lunch

• Blood & Fire Ministries, 7362 W. Parks Highway, Ste. 276, Wasilla

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

3 p.m. — lunch

• Food Pantry of Wasilla, 501 E. Bogard Rd., Wasilla

Monday – Friday

Noon — lunch

• Newcomb Park, Parks Highway and Crusey St., Wasilla

Monday-Friday

Noon — lunch

• Houston Fire Dept, 57 Parks Highway No. 4, Houston

Monday-Friday

Noon — lunch

• Sutton Library, 11301 N. Chickaloon Way, Sutton

Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Noon — lunch

• Big Lake library, 3140 S Big Lake Rd., Big Lake

Monday-Friday

Noon — lunch

• Willow Food Pantry, Mile 67.8 Parks Hwy, Willow

Wednesdays

1 p.m. — lunch

• Willow Community Center, Mile 69 Parks Hwy, Willow

Thursdays

1 p.m. — lunch

• Northridge Terrace Apartments, 505 Dogwood Ave., Palmer

Monday-Friday

1:30-2 p.m. — lunch

• John Bugge Park, Cobb St., Palmer

Monday-Friday

2:30-3 p.m. — Lunch

Contact Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.