Cokeburg Volunteer Fire Department recognized for help with summer feeding program
Volunteers from Cokeburg Fire Department and Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank have been preparing nearly 50 meals three days a week for children in the Cokeburg area.
One of the goals of the summer feeding program is to provide healthy meals and snacks, such as these apple slices.
Nate Doughty/Observer-Reporter Children eat a free meal Thursday at Cokeburg Volunteer Fire Department.
Finding a centrally located facility to feed more than 50 children in the middle of the summer is no easy feat. For Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the Cokeburg Volunteer Fire Department has been invaluable in solving the logistical problem and helping to provide meals for children in the area.
“Having the firemen (helping us) the past three years has allowed us to use the kitchen and supply shelter during rain,” said Janet Elder of Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. “The biggest challenge in rural communities is there are a lot of pockets of children that need help, but there is no central meeting place.”
The volunteer fire department offers its fire hall to the food bank free of charge three times a week so it has a place to feed the children who attend.
They set up the chairs and tables and then take them down at the end of each day the food bank is there.
The aid the department provides does not stop at the dining hall, as they also interact with the children by playing kickball and offering tours of the fire truck and ambulance are parked next door.
It is because of these efforts that the food bank awarded a certificate of appreciation to the fire department for its support of the summer feeding program. The food bank also gave the department a $100 Sam’s Club gift card.
“We’re serving the community,” said Rex Daniels, a Cokeburg volunteer firefighter. “I enjoy working with them very much. It’s an honor to me. We just give whatever we can.”
Meeting on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for 10 weeks, the summer feeding program aims to provide healthy meals to children in the largely rural area.
“In rural communities, mom and pop stores don’t have healthy fruits and vegetables,” Elder said. With the summer feeding program, children are able to access these healthier options while also getting out and socializing with others.
In addition to helping feed the children during the summer, the food bank believes it is important for the children to have access to a free breakfast during the school year. The food bank hopes to expand the number of kids eligible for a free breakfast by increasing awareness of the programs.
“When kids have access to breakfast in school, attendance goes up, tardiness goes down, there is less nurse visits,” Elder said. “It really helps the child achieve their potential.”
According to Elder, if one school in a school district has 50 percent or more children eligible for free and reduced meals, all of the kids in the district can qualify for free meals during the summer.
Next week will be the last week for the 2017 summer feeding program, but Elder said the impact Cokeburg Volunteer Fire Department has had on the community will be long-lasting.