Sandwich Lunch Brigade
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Sandwich Lunch Brigade
Pilot Program
Petoskey, MI — Northmen Den Youth Pantries (NDYP) adds Concord Academy of Petoskey as its sixth school-based youth pantry to help students eligible for free/reduced lunch. Concord Academy has chosen Concord Corner for the name of their pantry.
Concord Academy is a tuition-free charter school. At Concord, all students must bring their own lunches daily as they do not have facilities for a lunch program. With many students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, staff often provides food and supplies to make sandwiches. When NDYP’s board members learned about this, they had to take action. The Concord Corner Sandwich Lunch Brigade is a pilot program that NDYP hopes to expand and provide to even more students.
“Although we have only been collaborating for such a short time – the impact of your donated resources and time has been huge! Thank you for helping us get the Concord Corner started and providing our first Thursday Sandwich Lunch Brigade to our students – you are feeding kids so they can learn.”
A sample menu includes: Turkey or ham, provolone or cheddar cheese Slices; pickle spear; fresh- baked bread; bag of chopped fresh carrots; mandarin orange or other fresh fruit; and a homemade chocolate cookie.
Approximately 765 Petoskey and Harbor Springs middle and high school teenagers out of 2175 students are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunches, as determined by family income. As many as 1 out of 3 teens (33%) in our two communities are dealing daily with hunger, according to MISchoolData.org.
“Hunger hurts growing bodies, developing brains, self-esteem, school success, and future achievements. Hunger just plain HURTS. We can make a difference in a big way for these students by starting a weekly lunch brigade each Thursday, to bring eighty nutritious lunches to Concord Academy's most vulnerable Middle and High School students. I am so proud to have four companies and their staff immediately join us to provide a nutritious lunch for our communities’ most deserving and forgotten children. Any amount of donation will help. Each lunch costs around $3.50."
More about our local partnerships:
NDYP is partnering with Parkside Deli, Therapy Solutions, and Monarch Workforce to bring healthy lunches to these most vulnerable children. Fletch’s GMC Buick Audi of Petoskey, MI, is also a supporting sponsor.
Parkside Deli, located in downtown Petoskey, is a locally owned and operated deli that provides gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads, baked goods, and catering. The owner, Sarah McDonnell, is excited to provide freshly baked bread and cookies, sliced turkey and ham & cheese, pickle spears, clementine or other fresh fruit, sandwich wrapping, and bags for the weekly lunches. Each lunch will be the same quality as Parkside Deli serves to their patrons. Also provided will be a healthy after-school snack.
“Nutrition and food are my loves. When I heard 60% of students at Concord Academy were eligible for free/reduced lunch, it broke my heart. I wanted to step in and help feed these students.”
Therapy Solutions and its Monarch Workforce of Petoskey specializes in adult and pediatric neurological rehabilitation for clients in Northern Michigan. The owner, Amy Dubey, has a passion for helping others and is happy to join the Sandwich Lunch Brigade. As a form of fun and therapy, their patients will work with Therapy Solution’s Monarch Workforce patrons to assemble the sandwiches and bags.
- $3.50 x 3 students = $10 donation
- 8 students = $25.00
- Feed 80 students for 4 Thursdays = $1200.00
For more information about the Concord Sandwich Brigade or the Northmen Den Youth Pantries, Inc., contact Kathy Petersen at 231-622-8044 or [email protected].
