The Greater Marinette-Menominee YMCA is providing meals to youth and adults through partnerships and funding made possible by Y-USA.

 

The Meet Up and Eat Up evening meal program is available at the YMCA Monday through Friday from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm or until meals are gone, whichever comes first.   Meals are available through this program for children ages 18 and under or persons up to age 26 who are enrolled in an educational program for the mentally or physically disabled that is recognized by a State or local public educational agency.  Meet Up and Eat Up suppers can be picked up in the Y-Kids pick-up circle at the back of the main YMCA building, using the drive that leads to the Outback.

 

Since the program became available at the YMCA on April 19, 280 meals have been served to children.  It is anticipated that 150 or more meals will be served weekly until June 4, when the supper meals will conclude for the season.  Breakfast and lunch will be available for pickup beginning June 7, with pickup times to be announced in May.

 

 

The YMCA has also partnered with Jack’s Fresh Market to provide boxes of fresh produce to adults in the community.  According to Terri Florek, at the YMCA, the partnership has been vital to the success of the program.  Jack’s Fresh Market has donated the marketing talent and labor to fill and organize the boxes, and has secured produce boxes at below cost.  The first fifty boxes of produce were handed out within an hour on Friday, April 30.  Similar to the Eat Up and Meet Up program, the “Produce Project”, as it has been deemed, is a first-come, first-served program with no questions asked.   The Produce Project will be giving out free produce each Friday at 11:00 am on the corner of West Drive and 14th Avenue (the YMCA’s front lawn), until the produce is gone.  The initiative will conclude on August 28.

 

Another initiative made possible through the Hunger Relief funding is the “Pop-Up Picnics” for adults.  Pop-Up Picnics will provide a free healthy lunch to the first fifty adults each Wednesday at 11:00 am at locations throughout the community.  The first Pop-Up Picnic will be located at UWGB Marinette Campus in the campus library parking lot.  This week’s lunch will feature wraps from the deli at Jack’s Fresh Market.  A full list of locations for the summer season is available on the Y’s website, www.mmymca.org.

 

Contributions to these initiatives are welcomed, including vendors for Pop-Up Picnic lunches, additional funding for lunches and produce and upcoming weekend meals for children, and volunteers to help with distribution.  Inquiries may be directed to the YMCA at 906-863-9983.