Salina Free Summer Lunch Program Begins Tuesday
KSAL Staff - Sat 08:00 AM 05/26/2012
The free lunches are for all children ages one through eighteen, adults are welcome to eat for $3.25
The free summer lunch program in Salina begins Tuesday.
Organizers say that school may have ended, but the need for good nutrition has not. Children who are well fed learn better, behave better and feel better. The Summer Food Service Program helps children get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months.
According to USD 305, eight sites will serve a free summer lunch from 11:30 a.m. - noon, Monday through Friday. The free summer lunch program will run from Tuesday May 29th through Friday July 20th. No meals will be served on Wednesday, July 4.
Breakfast will be served from 7:45 till 8:15 May 29 through June 29 at Cottonwood Elementary School.
During the 2011 summer program, 22,238 lunch meals and 3,700 breakfasts were served to Salina children at eight open sites and one enrolled site.
Coalition partners are USD 305, Heartland Programs, Church of the Cross, The Salvation Army, Sunrise Presbyterian Church, and The Volunteer Connection.
The free lunches are for all children ages one through eighteen and adults are welcome to eat for $3.25. There is no fee or registration required to receive meals. This program is an equal opportunity provider.
The Free Summer Meal serving sites are:
Heusner Elementary, 1300 Norton, northwest doors by art room
Oakdale Elementary - 811 E. Iron, west doors off Penn Street
Schilling Elementary - 3121 Canterbury, side door by gym
Sunset Elementary - 1510 W. Republic, north doors off of playground
Cottonwood Elementary - 215 S. Phillips, Baker Street entrance
Kennedy Early Learning Center - 700 Jupiter, north double doors off Venus Street
Church of the Cross - 1600 Rush, southeast door
Salvation Army - 1137 N. Santa Fe, front door
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NoBS
Saturday 26 May 2012 10:59 Report this comment
Why are there no schools listed in south or east Salina
taxpayer47
Saturday 26 May 2012 13:28 Report this comment
3121 Canterbury That's about as south as you can get!
IamMe
Saturday 26 May 2012 14:39 Report this comment
More tax dollars down the drain. If the parents can not feed their kids, please quit having them!
DougSmith
Saturday 26 May 2012 16:21 Report this comment
I bet most of these kids have parents that are on welfare and food stamps and have been for most of their life. But I bet the parents make sure they have enough money for beer & cigarettes. The welfare systems needs some serious re-adjusting.
RONNIEMUR
Saturday 26 May 2012 16:34 Report this comment
I'd rather see my tax dollars feed hungry kids any day of the week over some of the useless things that taxes are also used for. No child deserves to starve. @DougSmith, Maybe you could do some research on the topic and get back to us. It would certainty be more respectable than making ignorant assumptions.
Iamgonnagetu
Saturday 26 May 2012 19:25 Report this comment
I am all for feeding kids made that statement when the friends of the river were trying to push their project down our throats. With that said I think a picture of those taking advantage of this is worth a 1000 words.
IamMe
Saturday 26 May 2012 20:28 Report this comment
No child in Salina would starve with responsible parents. Amazes me that Salina votes a straight line republican ticket yet it is becoming king of welfare.
RONNIEMUR
Saturday 26 May 2012 20:56 Report this comment
Iamgonna...What do you mean by your last sentence? @Iamme, you are right on when you say that responsible parents won't have starving kids. Like the parents who get help from programs like this. Thank God I have the money to pay taxes when these families struggle to even feed themselves. I am glad to be able to help these children, even if some of the community can't be gracious enough to do it without judging. Maybe those who think its such a waste should go and volunteer for a few weeks just to prove themselves right, or maybe you would prove yourself wrong once you got to know the families and kids.
IamMe
Saturday 26 May 2012 21:25 Report this comment
So RONNIE you claim that parents on welfare is responsible? Sorry I do not need to volunteer to know these families. I work with them and live by them. Soon as someone has a kid in Salina they run to the SRS office to see what they qualify for. Working or not! Excuse me for being tired of paying for kids food when they are not mine.
IamMe
Saturday 26 May 2012 21:30 Report this comment
These responsible parents blow money like drunken sailors. Tat's, drugs, beer, meth, and maybe a few scratch off tickets. How about we give them some seeds to plant a garden? A couple of bucks for a packet of seeds. Oh wait, that would take extra work to get them some food. Yea lets keep them lazy and on welfare in Salina. Lets just hope they do not vote how they live and vote "Obama" for more hope and change 2012!
1971jwmc
Sunday 27 May 2012 07:27 Report this comment
capt. obvious says ....hey um , almost all the faces in the crowd are brown . i new salina had changed but wth ? and all the food is burritos and chips ?!?! why are only the mexis eating here ? you know most of em work at tonys or excide so whats with the free loading ?
RONNIEMUR
Sunday 27 May 2012 08:21 Report this comment
@1971, going beyond your judgement based on race, you should check out the base pay at those places minus insurance taxes and retirement and see if you could raise a family with what's left.
RONNIEMUR
Sunday 27 May 2012 08:34 Report this comment
@Iamme, any parent that does what is legal to fulfill the needs of their children is responsible. Ifnyou know someone violating the system you should report them to srs. That would do more good than complaining on a website comments section. Also, I am still puzzled as to why you think its an intelligent idea to lump an entire group of people together as being one way when you may have knowledge or rumors about only a small portion of them. Your seed idea is great and if the city could provide enough fertile land I am sure people would work it to help get fruits and veggies. A couple of towns around here already do that. The closest one is in Abilene, no wait its in Salina! Over a hundred families already do that and if the city had more land available and more people knew about it, the numbers would be higher. So sorry your assumption was wrong about that. Again, I guess prejudging a few doesn't really add up.
harryj45
Sunday 27 May 2012 09:24 Report this comment
There has always been abuse of government assistance...and most likely that won't change. Some folks just think they're entitles regardless....wasting time bashing each other's comments isn't going to change any of that. The best way to find out for yourself is to get involved and see how things work, then you'll KNOW what you're talking about. If the chronic complainers would devote as much time to helping as they do to criticizing.....it would improve the system immediately. Of course that's just my opinion....I only donated time and gas collecting food for about a year, so I could be wrong.
GETALIFE674
Sunday 27 May 2012 09:28 Report this comment
ronnie are you freakin blind? 98% mexican decent and how many of them have legal parents. Give us your stats on that since you seem to spout off on any subject. These parents do not even speak english open your ears when you are out in public. I like others do not wish to deprive any kid from eating but these parents are making money and should be able to feed their kids. Seems all they want to do is reproduce like rabbits.
GETALIFE674
Sunday 27 May 2012 09:34 Report this comment
Harryj45 its not about volunteering its about the rest of us paying our way to take care of our own. I have never asked for a hand out no matter how bad we have had it. But lately everyone seems to have their hand out especially the ethic groups pictured. maybe some of you want to donate your time but a whole bunch of us cannot afford to.
RONNIEMUR
Sunday 27 May 2012 09:52 Report this comment
@getalife, you have time to complain on here,there's some time for you. I gave you the stats for legal immigrants vs illegal immigrants a few weeks ago and you can look them up at www.dhs.gov . No requirements are made to children who want to eat so I won't assume how many parents speak enough English to please you. If the parents don't speak English the child should go hungry? That really has no bearing on this issue. I don't care what racial or language issue you have with the parents, no child should go hungry if there is anything the community can do about it.
localgal785
Sunday 27 May 2012 14:07 Report this comment
@Getalife, because Spanish is their primary language & prefer to speak that DOES NOT MEAN that all MEXICANS don't speak English or have to speak it all the time. You need to GET A LIFE yourself. With the way the economy has been, many are struggling & if a little free lunch program can help families out so be it. I don't hear you complaining about the free/reduced lunch program during the school yr or do your kids participate in that so you don't want to open your mouth? I have money to feed my kids, but having this will save money on food for lunches so that when I take my children to go eat free lunch, then maybe after that we will have enough money to go to Kenwood Cove & give the little money we do have back to the community & allow our family to do something fun at the same time! Give & receive. I'm sure you were in a time of need at some time in your life & if not, well it must be nice to be so fortunate as you because not all of us are!
GETALIFE674
Sunday 27 May 2012 15:03 Report this comment
localgal you are a prime example of someone with their hand out. why did you have kids if you cannot feed them and take them to activities. Your kids food should come first and if there is no money left then the pool is out. Free lunch is for kids that have parents who do care about if they eat or not. This free food is meant to feed them. You need to work two jobs if you cannot support yourself and your kids on one job. By the way how many tats do you have?
GETALIFE674
Sunday 27 May 2012 15:06 Report this comment
ronnie you sprew out so much bs it is hard to follow. Illegals do not belong here they not only take american jobs but jobs from the legal mexicans living here. Since you believe you know everything tell me presently how many american kids are being fed by the Mexican Government?
RONNIEMUR
Sunday 27 May 2012 15:19 Report this comment
@get...I have said several times that illegals should go through the proper channels. That has not a thing to do with kids eating free lunch. Are you going to keep asking others for stats that you drum up or look them up yourself. The only time I have asked for people to back ho what they say is when I haven looked for the info myself to no avail. Back on topic. Again, you jump to conclusions that these are children of illegal immigrants but how do you know this is the case? These kids still deserve to eat and can't really control how their parents brought them here even if your judgements based in race were close to being true.
RONNIEMUR
Sunday 27 May 2012 15:22 Report this comment
Correction, back up, not back ho. Also @get...show me my bs and I'll back it up. Until then quit calling it bs unless you like making a liar out of yourself.
Iamgonnagetu
Sunday 27 May 2012 18:55 Report this comment
Hey Ronnie why don't you find somewhere else to spend your time. A bunch of us are just plainer tired of your post's. If you have that much time on your hands to look things up which I do not believe you do then you could be teaching all the illegals in town how to speak English. One thing I noticed is you refuse to touch the illegal subject with a 10 ft pole.
RONNIEMUR
Sunday 27 May 2012 19:34 Report this comment
@Iam...what about my posts makes you think I don't research? I'm sure you are tired of people who don't always agree with you but the few of you that don't agree with me can keep disagreeing. That's freedom. If you believe Getalife, he/she is watching me, so why go anywhere now? Maybe if I knew Spanish I woukd teach ESL, after the other 7 weekly volunteering jobs I do. Lastly, my position on immigration is that people should immigrate legally and the gov't should deport those that don't and do a better job at controlling entry into the U.S.
IamMe
Sunday 27 May 2012 21:51 Report this comment
Only in Salina is there this much hate for the belief of personal and fiscal responsibility of parents. Ronnie, where does your entitlement attitude come from? Can you research that for me? Two thirds of Salina kids get free lunches and that makes you proud why? America can not keep giving to those that have not and taking from those that have without going broke.
RONNIEMUR
Sunday 27 May 2012 22:41 Report this comment
@iamme, there is no hare for others' beliefs toward your position. People should be responsible with their money but not everyone has it as easy as you and I. When it comes to kids I think we should feed them and not punish them for their parents' mistakes. Where's the hats you claim. Opposition in and of itself is not hats. What undue entitlements do you propose I think I deserve based on my statements. Also, though you may want to put words in my mouth, I never said I was proud (pleased, content, glad or any other synonyms you can muster) that 2/3 of Salinas families qualify for free lunch. I wish everyone made tons of money and never wasted a dime. That just simply isn't going to happen any time soon. I am glad that the community can afford to help those kids eat when they can't get a good meal at home. In the end what we do for those in need will be remembered and what we don't do for others in need will also be remembered. There is Jo justification for letting hungry kids stay hungry.
RONNIEMUR
Sunday 27 May 2012 22:42 Report this comment
Correction, hate
IamMe
Monday 28 May 2012 00:35 Report this comment
Sorry Ronnie, I do not make anymore money than those you are claiming are entitled to more of my money. They work, get more money back in income tax returns then they pay in, food stamps, free lunch at schools, a cut in rent, state insurance, need I go on? Where is it you think they are entitled?
RONNIEMUR
Monday 28 May 2012 00:37 Report this comment
Kids are entitled to eat. That's where.
RONNIEMUR
Monday 28 May 2012 00:48 Report this comment
Its truly a sad day for humanity when you are so upset that children who can't fend for themselves get to eat a free meal paid for by a couple of your pennies. Be mad at the parents if you have to but to say that kids aren't "entitled" to a free meal when they are hungry and they obviously have no means of feeding themselves, well that seems pathetic.
IamMe
Monday 28 May 2012 04:21 Report this comment
What is pathetic is that you think parents are entitled to my money. How about responsibility? How about if you can not feed a child you do not have them? Your way of thinking is "hey lets be irresonsible! Let the village feed my kids. We are entitled!".
RONNIEMUR
Monday 28 May 2012 07:38 Report this comment
@Iamme, though you do seem to enjoy putting words in my mouth I never said that the parents are entitled to your money. This program feeds only children for free. If a kid is hungry he/she should be fed and not left to go hungry no matter what their parents have done. That is my stance and you can keep adding things in but that's where I stand.
Iamgonnagetu
Monday 28 May 2012 18:19 Report this comment
Ronnie you have a way of referring things and then say others are putting words in your mouth. Did you read localgal answer to another poster where she claims to work but takes her kid or kids to free lunch so she then has money to go to the cove to swim. These are the types of stinken thinking people we are dealing with. I do not believe this is fair to the people that really need this. Nor do I feel illegals should be able to abuse this also.
RONNIEMUR
Monday 28 May 2012 20:25 Report this comment
@Iam...I understand where you are coming from, but no registration is required and the program is free for any child under 18, so its not ilegal for any child to eat the free lunches. I think the best person to talk to about that is your local rep, if you really want the program to change, as farto as having more requirements.
IamMe
Monday 28 May 2012 20:56 Report this comment
Ronnie, do you have any facts that claim that giving free lunches to kids cuts back on welfare? Seems you are blowing alot of smoke up my butt. Ronnie what happens to these kids when they become adults? Do they go out and get jobs to feed themselves or are they likely to try and work your system of free meals? How does all these free meals as kids make responsible adults? Like to see your facts on how you are making responsible adults. Oh by the way, do you believe in evolution? Darwin?
RONNIEMUR
Monday 28 May 2012 22:44 Report this comment
@Iamme, I never said that giving free lunch cuts back on welfare, so what smoke is there other than your relentless need to twist my opinion that any hungry child should not be left to go hungry. As for the rest of it, the article clearly states that children who are well fed, learn better, behave better and feel better, if you want the paper to cite their source you can ask them. My guess is that children who are well fed, feeling better, learning better and behaving better have a better shot at life and Religion has not a thing to do with it. I have faith in God, if that's what you are getting at and I wouldn't deny it, but I'm not sure what that has to do with feeding children, unless you are making assumptions. Again, asking for random facts just because you can't come up with a decent objection is taking this topic round and round. Who's mind are you trying g to change? I'll always believe ghat children shouldn't go hungry when adults can do something about it.
RONNIE
Monday 28 May 2012 23:04 Report this comment
Whaa, whaaa, whaaa. I don't like something g and I am going to ....whaaa, whaaa, whaaa.....I'm not going to get involved or give my opinion in the beginning stages. I'm whining after the fact and to the wrong people. Then if you don't agree with me I will come up with a question about something that you didn't say and ask you to gets facts about the thing I made up because you ask me to prove the things I actually said. RONNIEMUR, I feel your pain. I think a couple if these guys would like to see you quit commenting but I have to say that I have been glad to see someone opposing some views and continuing even after being told they are watching you and all. Your viewpoint is a fresh perspective from the repetitive negativity.
IamMe
Monday 28 May 2012 23:15 Report this comment
Yes watching ronnie cry about personal responsibility is funny! Watching him show us why entitlements are a good thing is funny. Watching show no facts that entitlements lead to better lives is funny. Watching him cry about fiscal responsibility is funny.Balance the budget ronnie, balance the budget!
IamMe
Monday 28 May 2012 23:17 Report this comment
Whaaaa whaaa whaaa, no need to cry, just take your kids to free lunches. Get a new tatoo!
RONNIE
Monday 28 May 2012 23:31 Report this comment
What personal responsibility do kids have to feed themself and when did Ronniemur say that they have that personal responsibility? When did he(Ronniemur) make a statement about fiscal responsibiliy? What is funny about him saying kids are entitled to eat? I am positive that he gave you a few reasons why kids who don't starve have better lives. That's something even you might be able to figure out. Hmmm, do kids that go hungry and have better lives or do kids who eat well and have better lives. Darwin is laughing if you can't put the pieces to that puzzle together. Ronniemur said he thinks kids shouldn't starve, so what are you still complaining about. All we've heard from you is whining and complaining, along with a few lies. Not rebutting. If you are able, answer for yourself and give your ideas without making stuff up.
RONNIE
Monday 28 May 2012 23:41 Report this comment
Hey Ronneimur, will you put a pause on the budget and just balance Iamme's meds?
Iamgonnagetu
Tuesday 29 May 2012 00:31 Report this comment
OMG another Ronnie could this be an off spring of ronneimur? Kind of the same BS wanting to be the protector of all. Do you realize the baby sitters of these kids getting free meals are reimbursted for the meal by the state even through they never fed them. What a great state we live in.
IamMe
Tuesday 29 May 2012 05:25 Report this comment
What lies did I make up? I am for personal and fiscal responsibility and you trash those concepts. The ronnie's of the world I guess wish to enable irresponsibility. Please can one of the ronnie's tell us how free lunches makes people responsible and gets people off of welfare?????
RONNIE
Tuesday 29 May 2012 07:36 Report this comment
Iamme, Ronnie never said anything about welfare, nor the parents being entitled to your money. There are a couple of your lies. Can you answer any of the questions posed fornyou in this three, I know asking yourself to answer all of them might be just too much for you to handle. I think Ronniemur gave the article as her source for how feeding children well benefits them but you keep ignoring that . You don't believe the writer of the article? If you don't know how starving effects the body you shouldn't even be commenting on whether or not they deserve to eat. Do you know whether or not people perform better if they eat instead of going hungry. I really thought that was something that anyone with a brain cell could figure out.
RONNIE
Tuesday 29 May 2012 09:52 Report this comment
@Iamme, you'll have to go to your local Rep, as I said earlier, if you want requirements placed on the program. Until then the kids aren't tracked and we don't know if they'll be on welfare in 20 years. You can contact your welfare office locally if you want welfare statistics. If feeding hungry children has to bring you a monetary value before you'll be interested, I'm sure some of us would gladly drop a few pennies off for you so that you don't have to worry about your money going to this program. If you want to know how feeding kids a healthy meal vs letting them starve works effects their lives, go to doh.gov, livestrong.org, talk to your Dr or dietitian. Starving causes hypotension, atrophy, death....I'm sorry if you don't feel those are good enough reasons to feed a hungry child, or do you?
RONNIE
Tuesday 29 May 2012 09:56 Report this comment
@Iamgo...I'm sure there are people that take advantage but the kids still deserve to eat, do they not? The problem is with the adults who abuse the systems and those that see the abuse and refuse to report it,but we can't let children go hungry to pay for their parents mistakes.
Iamgonnagetu
Tuesday 29 May 2012 14:44 Report this comment
If we reported all the wrongs that occur there would not be enought filing cabinets to hold the reports. The average citizen should not have to police these programs. It seems the Ronnie's always try to put a guilt trip on people by saying don't you want to feed kids? Sure we do but just the kids that truly need it. Parents not feeding their kids should be proscecuted or the kids taken away.
RONNIEMUR
Tuesday 29 May 2012 19:49 Report this comment
If people see violations they ought to save the rest of us a few dollars by reporting the undeserving adult, @Iamgonna. Otherwise, they can't really complain in good conscience. If you don't agree with the program, you do have your outlets for changing it.
IamMe
Tuesday 29 May 2012 20:49 Report this comment
Parents not feeding there kids is a form of child abuse! Back in the good ole days if you could not feed your kids they were taken away. The only hungry kids around here is the ones the parents refuse to feed. If you can not feed them, do not have them. Having kids is a choice, not an entitlement. Sorry ronnie's you will not guilt trip me. America is broke and soon the piper calls. About that time you can feed Salina's kids out of your own pocket.
RONNIEMUR
Tuesday 29 May 2012 21:54 Report this comment
Check out http://www.welfareinfo.org/history/. Welfare has been around for longer than the gov't program. Farmers used tobleave the edges of their crops for others to eat from since back in biblical times. People have always helped eachother out. Kids in foster care are still being fed by your dime if you take them away frkm parents who are unable to support them well, and in this economy you can't really count all the unemployed as tattooed, drug using, drunks. Again, if you don't like the program, do something about it. I too will drop off a couple pennies and feed your share if you want out but don't want to actually affect the change. Then you can atleast have less to complain about since you don't seem interested in doing much more about it.
Iamgonnagetu
Tuesday 29 May 2012 22:02 Report this comment
Ronniemur here you go once again trying to put it back on me. No problem if that's your game you wish to play. You always take a safe stand on everything. One person cannot change programs and you should be aware of that being the researcher you are.
RONNIE
Wednesday 30 May 2012 00:32 Report this comment
I'd say you have more than one person with you on this one. Next excuse.
RONNIEMUR
Wednesday 30 May 2012 09:02 Report this comment
@Iamgo...If you know of abuse of the system and don't report it, then you do share some responsibility for allowing abuse of the system. If you don't like something, you have to try to change it or accept it and move on. My stance isn't brutal, but judging from this comment section, I'd hardly say that I've been on the safe side.
THEENFORCER
Thursday 31 May 2012 00:19 Report this comment
ronniemur yea there were a bunch of us taxpayers who tried that with the homo's and lesbians but that did not work now did it. the only thing that will is election time when we send both barb and aaron to the showers.
RONNIE
Thursday 31 May 2012 07:15 Report this comment
@thenforcer, this would be through the school board and state rep. The city commission doesn't control the school lunch program.
IamMe
Thursday 31 May 2012 21:52 Report this comment
The SNAP/Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S.Department of Agriculture, is pleased to be distributing the greatest amount of free meals and food stamps ever. Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by theU.S. Department of the Interior, asks us to “Please Do Not Feed The Animals.” This is because the animals may grow dependent on handouts and not learn to take care of themselves.
JaNitaBonilla
Thursday 28 June 2012 10:59 Report this comment
I read some of these comments, its hard to believe that such hate lives in Salina. Yet it doesn't surprise me at all. I just hope people outside Salina don't read this and do as the posters do, grab their blinders and judge those they don't know. Yet they would fit well in Salina if they did.