This month's Outreach grant has been awarded to the Summer Lunch Box program. The request was made by Rob and Sharon Roque.

Fifty percent of the children in the City of Cumberland, Maryland (hometown of Rob Roque) are eligible to receive free or reduced breakfasts and lunches at their school during the academic year. And these children have the same needs after the school year ends. The church where Rob's family attended - Emmanuel Episcopal Church - works to fill this gap each summer. Founded in 2001, the Summer Lunch Box provides lunches for the children who are on the City playgrounds in supervised recreational programs for the period in the summer that those programs run. Emmanuel's lunch program provides lunch to approximately 800 children each year. Breakfasts are also delivered to the local park program for children dropped off early by parents whose work schedules cannot accommodate later morning or afternoon park program drop-offs.

Volunteers gather each day at the church to prepare nutritionally balanced food and deliver them to the children at the playground sites. Emmanuel also leaves coolers with fruit drinks and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for snacks later in the afternoon.

There are never any leftovers because the children take the extra lunches home to their families. The grant from Trinity will contribute a great deal for this great program. As an additional thank-you, Rob and Sharon are matching the grant as a further contribution to the program. Thank you Trinity!