Got Lunch! on track for record season serving students

LACONIA — Last summer, organizers of Got Lunch! Laconia pursued a goal of getting 500 students to sign up for the free grocery deliveries, and they ended the summer at 483. This year’s program kicked off a few weeks ago with 508 on the list, setting the season on track to serve more children than ever in the program’s 15-year history.

Got Lunch! Laconia was created as an answer to a troubling question: If more than half of the city’s students receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year, how do those families feed those children during the 10 weeks of the summer? Inspired by a similar program in Vermont, Got Lunch! operates as an all-volunteer-powered machine, which collects groceries and makes weekly doorstep deliveries to the homes of local schoolchildren. There are no other requirements to sign up, any student of Laconia’s schools can access the help if they need it.

Early on the morning of June 23, in the basement of the Laconia Congregational Church, a small army of helpers gathered to fill bags with loaves of bread and sandwich fixings, as well as toothbrushes and toothpaste and reading materials. Then, teams of drivers traced a spiderweb through the city.

First, though, Michaela Champlin, principal of Woodland Heights School, put their labor into perspective.

“This morning, the efforts of each of you will impact 508 children in week one. Many of these kids, who rely on three meals a day plus snacks during the school year, are now food secure,” she said before turning her focus to the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, which has been a stalwart supporter of the program for many years.

“Remember those numbers from the beginning, 508 kids? Impossible without [the Greater] Lakes Region Children’s Auction,” Champlin continued. “The positive impact on the overwhelming number of kids and families who have benefitted from the Children’s Auction and Got Lunch! is immeasurable. Each on their own, but even better in partnership, displays all that is right in Laconia. To say this community is thankful is an understatement.”

Interviewed after her speech, Champlin said she’s a “huge fan of Got Lunch!”, and has been a regular Monday morning volunteer. She said her enthusiasm for the program is informed by her knowledge of the need it addresses.

“As a resident of Laconia, I see so many benefits. The kids at Woodland Heights are receiving Got Lunch! throughout the summer, it feels good knowing that those kids are going to get what they need,” Champlin said. “It’s such a special thing to know that kids are taken care of each summer,” and to know it’s through the generosity of the community and the work of volunteers to make it happen.

“The more families that can benefit, the better, and the more people who can give support and donate, the better,” Champlin said. “Children’s Auction and Got Lunch!, it’s the best of who we are.”

Meeting the need

Got Lunch! has already set a record, as 508 is the most kids the program has ever had for its first week. Trish Poliquin, vice chair of the board and volunteer coordinator for Got Lunch! Laconia, said the leadership team was “blown away” by this year’s starting figure.

If history serves as a faithful guide, the number of participants will grow each week, as new families learn about the program. If so, Got Lunch! could end up serving more children this year than it ever has.

Poliquin said that tells her “that times are tight, people are in need of support to make ends meet.” Prices have remained high for consumers, at a time when many programs are facing budget cuts. “These numbers are really a sign of the times, and how hard it is for families right now.”

Got Lunch! is capable of meeting a heightened need, Poliquin said, but it will also be more challenging for the organization to provide for each student. The New Hampshire Food Bank is limiting how much it can provide for the organization because of its own budgetary shortfalls, which means that Got Lunch! will need to head to local supermarkets — where higher prices await — to fill their bags.

“We’ve had to go out and buy more food to sustain the program,” Poliquin said, noting she’s thankful to have established relationships with Hannaford, Vista and Shaw’s stores. Still, they’ll need cash to get what they need.

It costs about $200 per child, per summer, Poliquin said. That provides 10 weekly deliveries of groceries, including fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as items to support dental health and literacy. The organization’s current need is for donations, and Poliquin suggested visiting sites.google.com/view/got-lunch-laconia to make a financial contribution — she suggested “sponsoring” a child for the summer through a $200 gift.

While Got Lunch! currently has enough volunteers, Poliquin said the board is looking to add members with specific skill sets, such as fundraising. Those interested should reach out at gotlnch@gmail.com.

“We are having to pay out of pocket for food we can’t secure,” Poliquin said. “We’re going to feel that by the end of the season.”