• The Schenk Weekend Nutrition Program developed beginning in the summer of 2014
  • Rev. Dr. Paula Harris requested a meeting to discuss an idea for a weekend meal initiative.  Rev. Paula Harris, Rev. Stephen Marsh, Debra Alldredge and Pat Blair met at St. Luke's Episcopal Church and discussed the possibility of modeling an east side program after a program run by the Vineyard Faith Community (now called Foundry 414) out of St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church and serving Falk Elementary School.
  • After the initial meeting, a meeting was arranged with Jes Perkins, who coordinated the Falk School program. Rev. Staci Marrese-Wheeler, Debra Alldredge, and Deb Annen attended this meeting, and they gathered program and menu information.
• Through the late summer and fall of 2014, the program for Schenk was designed
  • Committee members and volunteers were recruited
  • Grants were written and applied for
  • Fund raisers were held
  • Meetings with the Principal of Schenk were held, along with the school social worker
  • The menu was developed using the west side menu as a starting point
  • A grocery store partner was selected- Hy-Vee on the east side
  • The logistics for shopping, packing and distribution were developed
• During the fall of 2014 and the winter and spring of 2015, other community churches joined the effort- Lake Edge UCC, Lake Edge Lutheran and St. Dennis Catholic
• The start up funding for the program was as follows:
  • $2,500 grant from Moravian Larger Life Foundation
  • $400 gift from Glenwood Moravian Church
  • $1,000 grant from St. Luke’s
  • $2,100 grant from Lake Edge UCC
• Food deliveries began at Schenk in January of 2015.
  • From January until the end of the school year, we delivered food 20 weeks
  • We averaged 58 bags of food each week
  • Our total food costs were $2,941.11
  • The average cost per bag was $2.71
• The program expanded for the 2015-2016 school year
  • We delivered food for 36 weeks
  • We averaged 104 bags of food each week
  • Total food costs for the year were $9,480.86
  • The average cost per bag of food was $2.53
• The participating congregations held fund raising events, and individual members donated to the program throughout the school year
• Rev Dr. Paula Harris and Rev Staci Marrese-Wheeler wrote and applied for a grant from the Ecumenical Housing Authority Community Foundation
  • We were blessed to receive a grant of $15,000
• As of June 30, 2016, the Schenk Weekend Food Program has funds on hand of $29,093.14, which does include the $15,000 grant monies.