By Anthony Stanford –
A collaboration among the Aurora Public Library (APL), Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB), the Fox Valley Park District (FVPD), and the city government of Aurora helps to sponsor the popular Meals on the Move program. The Summer lunch program provides free nutritious boxed lunches to children 18 years and under in easily-accessible locations throughout the city. The program has been running for more than a month and has served at least 150 individuals.
According to Feeding America Child Hunger Corps member Rakaia Keefe-Oates, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides the meals, and the program is administered by the Illinois State Board of Education and operated by the NIFB. Oates elaborated by saying, “For each first meal served to a child, the Northern Illinois Food Bank is reimbursed for the meal. The Northern Illinois Food Bank currently has over 100 partner sites serving lunch throughout the Summer.”
The APL bookmobile made a special stop at Blackhawk Park in Aurora to participate in the NIFB’s Meals on the Move event July 13. The event was, along with providing a fun opportunity, to help raise awareness of the program. Daisy Porter-Reynolds, APL executive director; Dan Leahy, FVPD director of marketing and communications; and Frank Johnson, FVPD sponsorship and business development specialist, were on hand for the event.
The NIFB’s van will have visited six locations through August 10 and will stop at each location Monday through Friday for 30 minutes. Beginning at Lebanon Park at 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the Meals on the Move van proceeds to McCarty Park noon to 12:30 p.m., Blackhawk Park 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., Arrow Wood Park, 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., and Copley Park at 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m..
In 2017, APL was a partner with NIFB to serve lunches each week at William V. Plum Park Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.. The Plum Park stop coincides with the bookmobile’s regularly scheduled stop and has been a great success.
Porter-Reynolds said, “The library has always fed minds; we’re excited to be able to feed bodies, as well. Through our partnership with Northern Illinois Food Bank and alderman Mike Saville, we hope to improve families’ lives this Summer.”
Attending the Meals on the Move event with her son, Spencer, Susanne Campbell said, “I enjoy and appreciate these events. Thank you to those responsible for planning, funding, and staffing these programs.”
Anthony Stanford is an author and Aurora Public Library Media Consultant.