Resource Center Will Serve Student Lunches

WAITSBURG – When the Waitsburg School Board approved the district’s 2015-16 schedule, high school principal Stephanie Wooderchak expressed concern that the two-week holiday break might leave some students without adequate nutrition during a time when family resources are already stretched tight by holiday expenses and heating bills.

Thanks to the Waitsburg Resource Center, that is no longer a concern. Not only will children be able to enjoy a healthy lunch at no charge, they’ll also have a warm place to socialize and spend a bit of time each day.

Resource Center Board Chair Pam Conover said recent monetary donations from the Waitsburg Car Club, The Waitsburg Lions, and $2,000 from AmericanWest Bank, have helped make the lunch program possible.

Lunches will be served, paper-bag style, in the Waitsburg Christian Church Dorcas room at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, and 30. Meals will not be provided on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

The resource center worked with Waitsburg schools’ food supervisor Susan Wildey to purchase pre-packaged food items. Typical meals will consist of a sandwich, applesauce, cookie, crackers, and milk.

Doors will open at 11 a.m. and children are invited to play board games or do craft activities until 11:30 when lunches will be handed out on a first-come, first served basis. Children will eat at the church but are welcome to take any uneaten food home with them.

The Waitsburg Resource Center serves families in the Waitsburg and Prescott school districts. The volunteer-operated center performs a wide range of services in addition to providing approximately 1,000 lbs. of food to families in need each month.

The center provides schools with backpacks of hygiene and school supplies, provides snacks for the summer reading program, sponsors mobile dental van visits and supports special projects such as holiday meals and food basket programs.

Most recently, the resource center board has been considering the purchase of emergency supplies, such as blankets, flashlights and batteries, to be stored for use in the event of a city-wide emergency such as a flood or power outage.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Waitsburg Resource Center, volunteering, or sharing community needs, may stop in at the center during operating hours on Thursday from 2-4 p.m. or Saturday from 9-11 a.m. The center is located at 106 Preston Ave. on the side of the Banner Bank building. Contact Pam Conover at (509) 337-8876 with any questions.