Summer Feed and Read: Building Friendships and Nurturing Minds

Four years ago, Morgan and her husband Dustin, along with their two young children, moved from Kentucky to Luther, OK, to be closer to Dustin’s parents. Her kids were thrilled (who wouldn’t be, getting to see Grandma and Grandpa that much more often?) and quickly adjusted to their new home.

Morgan, too, was happy to be closer to family. But, she says, having lived in Kentucky her whole life, the move took some getting used to.

“That was probably the biggest challenge I faced,” she says. “That this was my first move.”

But today, it’s clear that Luther is home to the whole family! We met Morgan and her kids – 7-year-old Ellie, 5-year-old Roman, and baby May – at the Luther Community Service Center.

“My neighbor volunteers here, and she’s the one who told me about it,” Morgan explains. “When I was pregnant with May, we decided to check it out. They welcomed me in, helped me with resources. We’ve been volunteering here for the past year and a half now!”

In addition to volunteering their time at the Center, Morgan’s two older kids participate in the Summer Feed and Read program, sponsored by Feed the Children.

Five days a week, kids gather at the Center for story time, followed by activities, arts and crafts, and even one-on-one reading practice with volunteers! The free program offers a safe, enriching environment for the community’s kids, who might not otherwise have access to fun summer programs. Reading and being read to also creates a valuable learning experience that will help kids when it comes time for them to return to class in the fall.

Parents like Morgan are already seeing the benefit. She shares how the program has helped her kids:

“Ellie is so spunky and hyper; she’s the make-friends-almost-instantly type of kid. But she has ADHD, and she doesn’t learn as quickly as others,” Morgan explains. “But since she’s been coming to Feed and Read, she’s learned how to read! She just read her first book, and before she came her, she could not. And my son is picking up new words like it’s nothing. It’s had a huge impact on both of them.”

Every Feed and Read session also includes a lunch for the kids. Many of them recieve free or reduced-price lunches in school, so during the summer, they may end up missing those meals.

“The meals really help because not only are they learning to read, but they also get lunch,” Morgan says. “With the way everything is nowadays, you know, everything’s so expensive. And I don’t feel like children should have to worry about that sort of stuff. They should just know that there is food in front of them and be able to eat and not have to worry about that.”

Your support is crucial for fueling programs like Summer Feed and Read, and supporting community partners like the Luther Community Service Center. Together, we’re making a life-changing difference, one meal and one child at a time!