Budget cuts hinder free lunch program

WOONSOCKET - An advocate for the poor is criticizing city officials this week for dropping a summer lunch program that fed hundreds of low-income children last year.

"It's a cop out," Henry Shelton, coordinator of the nonprofit George Wiley Center, told The Breeze.

"If they really cared about the kids, they would find the money, or use volunteers."

But city officials say it's all about dollars and cents.

Due to the city's recent budget cuts, Woonsocket now lacks the funds to staff the management of the 2009 Rhode Island Summer Learning Program, a federally funded program that provides free lunch to children ages 2 to 18 during the months away from school.

"The federal program is still available, but we physically cannot staff it," said James Cannon, recreation director of Woonsocket, whose summer recreation program was cut out of the budget this year.

According to Shelton, who has a chapter of his Wiley Center at St. Charles Church in Woonsocket, last summer's lunch program cost $45,119.86 and served 11,825 lunches at 11 sites throughout Woonsocket.

Said Shelton, "Families do not have the money, but if the kids do not eat well, they will go backwards over the summer and be further behind in the coming school year." Shelton's organization, which is stationed in Pawtucket, successfully worked to get a free breakfast program in Woonsocket schools.

"We have tried to employ the help of volunteers in the past," said Cannon, "but it simply does not work. There is necessary training and preparation, so planning at the last minute is not possible."

Stephen Carey, nutrition program specialist for the Department of Education, said the administration works with the local programs but can't run the program for each individual community.

However, the Rhode Island Department of Education may step in.

Said RIDE spokesman Elliot Krieger, "This department has a philosophy that child well-being is a top priority. Summer learning is important and impossible to do if the kids are hungry, which is why we are trying to find solutions."

The nonprofit organization Connecting for Children and Families Inc. relied on the program to provide balanced meals of milk, juice, sandwiches, fruit and snacks to the children involved in their summer enrichment programs, so they have taken on the task themselves, said CCF Director Terese Curtin.

She's been able to make arrangements to feed children attending her summer program.

"We thought we were going to be without the lunch program, but we got in touch with the Department of Education and were able to become a sponsor for our own program," said Curtin.

"Now we can feed our 150 to 175 children nutritious lunches every day of their four- or five-week long programs. We are very excited to have the staffing to take this on."

Curtin continued, "With this economy, not having enough food is a huge concern for many families, so we are trying to get in touch with vendors to sponsor the programs for the rest of Woonsocket children, because eating well over the summer is so important."

"Hopefully the parks department will be able to pick the program back up next year," said Curtin, "but we anticipate that our program will run smoothly. At least we can provide a service to some of the children who need it."

CCF has a five-week "Chillin' and Skillin'" program for children in 4th, 5th and 6th grades, a four-week program for high school students at Woonsocket High School and a four-week program for middle school students at Woonsocket Middle School. To inquire about registering for a program, contact Justin Cares or Trisha Marvelle at 766-3384.

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