Lunch Buddies
Lunch Buddies is, at its heart, a mentoring program designed to reach at-risk elementary school-age children, who have been identified by school personnel as needing an additional stable force in their lives. The overall intent of Lunch Buddies is to provide a consistently positive and caring mentor to a child in need, no matter the reason. Community volunteers who wish to serve as Lunch Buddies undergo criminal background checks and training prior to participation in the program. After being paired with a child, Lunch Buddies visit their charges on a weekly basis during the lunch period.
The volunteers who serve as Lunch Buddies have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities with the children. Sometimes that simply means helping with schoolwork, sharing a story or board game, or enjoying quiet talks together. Sometimes Lunch Buddies can be spotted out on the playground, having fun with their buddy-child in a game of kickball. As people become more involved in the program, they often realize they've become a friend to other children as well. This ripple effect benefits the whole school.
