Our Hometown
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Lyons Lunch Program marks birthday Lyons will celebrate the 5th birthday of the Lyons Lunch Program. The doors opened on Feb. 8, 1999. There will be a special birthday lunch (pizza) today, Mon., February 9, during regular meal time (11:30-12:30). On February 10, volunteers will be honored at a dish-to-pass meal at 6 p.m. in the social hall of the Presbyterian Church.
The Lyons Lunch Program The mission of the Lyons Lunch Program is to provide a nutritious meal to anyone in need. We opened our doors on Feb. 8, 1999 and to date have served more than 36,700 meals. We fund our program through grants received from The American Red Cross, Foodlink, and 2 cents a Meal along with the very generous donations of individuals, businesses and other organizations in and around our community. We are also 'sponsored by' The Inter-Church Council of Lyons. This means that the other churches in Lyons make contributions and encourage their parishioners to donate food, time, and financial assistance to our program. People learn about the Lyons Lunch Program from many sources. We have placed flyers all around the town of Lyons-everywhere from diners to the library. We have sent flyers to all supporting agencies including Social Services, WIC, and Office on Aging, Evenstart and more. Articles about the Lyons Lunch Program frequently appear in the local newspapers. We are a registered Foodlink site and are able to purchase food and surplus food from Foodlink at a great discount. We have also been awarded grants through Foodlink to cover many of the food items that we need. The Boy Scouts, Lyons Letter Carriers, school children, churches and local businesses have food drives throughout the year to help us out. There is a great deal of community support. There are no eligibility requirements for the Lunch Program. Everyone is welcome. Many of our guests come to us because they are going through difficult economic circumstances. Some have lost their jobs; others are unable to work. Some are making a transition back into the community after a time of incarceration. Many have drug and/or alcohol related problems. Some folks come because they are lonely and appreciate the fellowship. We are honoring Jesus' command to feed the hungry and to reach out to those in need. We practice biblical hospitality. We cooperate with other agencies by referring guests for services. For example, we have referred guests to Social Services for food stamps. We have referred guests for heating assistance, legal assistance, mental health services and substance abuse assistance. We are a WIC site. We encourage our young mothers to sign up for WIC and to schedule their visits right here in Lyons. We encourage our guests to get their GED and partner with Adult Literacy, Evenstart and other agencies to resource folks. We partner with other agencies to present informative programs on a regular basis. The programs focus on 'maintaining wellness.' We had a free health clinic here to check blood pressure. The Lyons Food Pantry and Lunch Program work hand in hand. If a client comes into the Food Pantry, she or he is invited for lunch. If we learn in the Lunch Program that a guest is in need of emergency food, we make sure that he or she gets the necessary referral for emergency food assistance. We work together to feed the hungry as Jesus commanded. The LLP has grown and changed over the years in response to feedback from our guests and volunteers. We began with a small group of dedicated volunteers and volunteers are still the backbone of the program. We realized early on that we would need to hire a coordinator to oversee the many facets of the program. We applied for grants and have been able to fund the position of a part-time cook/coordinator. We are truly blessed to have Steve VanDuyne on staff. He is a man of great faith and great compassion. He previously served as the Chief of Police in Lyons, and he knows many of the folks. He understands that the LLP is more than a meal; it is a ministry. Alice Renckert, is also a great blessing to our program. Alice has been a member of The First Presbyterian Church of Lyons church for many years. She is an ordained elder and deacon. Her background is in Social Work so we rely on her experience in helping people. She is our primary food shopper. She also handles all the finances. She is the one I go to when I need advice on how to handle a situation. Guests make suggestions about the menu, rules of conduct, special events, etc. Everyone has a voice. We invite our guests to volunteer in the lunch program by greeting people, setting up, assisting with cooking, serving, and cleaning up Last year, we offered a Safe Food Handlers certification class and more than 30 people participated- the majority guests/volunteers from the LLP. We also offered cooking classes last year and many of our regulars attended and received certificates. This year, we have Sharon Morano from the Cornell Cooperative Extension speaking to us on nutrition issues. We are a community of caring and guests often bring other guests. We celebrate birthdays on a once a month basis- and have special meals to celebrate holidays. We celebrate milestones such as 6-month sobriety. We have baby showers and other celebrations. Folks who come for lunch look out for one another. We have regular clothing give-a-ways where our guests can obtain free clothes. We give out blankets, hats, mittens and gloves. We have also helped people to get settled in a new apartment by getting them furniture and appliances. We partnered with the Department of Social Services in the Welfare-to-Work program and have watched people grow in their skills and they transition to full time work. We have come to know our 'regulars' and their preferences! We provide a space where people feel welcomed and valued. We model caring behavior and respect for one another. For some folks, the Lunch Program is their only 'family.' Some of our guests eat with us five days a week; others just once or twice a month, when they aren't able to make ends meet. The Chief of Police has eaten with us. Other visitors have included members of the Probation Department, The Drug Court, Literacy Volunteers, Mental Health and others. The Lyons Lunch Program is more than a meal - it is a ministry. We try to show the love of God that we know in Christ Jesus to all we meet. Questions? Call me at 946.4723.
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