Holy Family Catholic Community Summer Bites program returns to help fill gaps for children and families this summer

Holy Family Catholic Community will aim to serve hundreds of free lunches every Tuesday this summer when its Summer Bites program returns.

Summer Bites began in 2024 as a way to expand the number of meals available to those in need in the Fond du Lac area during the summer months. The program is a sister program of Holy Family’s Blessed Bites, which offers free to-go meals and other food and care items every Tuesday throughout the year at St. Mary Church, 59 E. Merrill Ave., from 4:00 to 4:30 pm — or until meals run out.

While both programs are focused on caring for those who are hungry, Summer Bites in particular seeks to serve children and families who rely on school lunches throughout the school year for food and may find themselves going without during the summer. However, any individual in need will be able to receive a free meal.

“We know the need is there. According to the United Way of Fond du Lac County’s 2024 ALICE Report, in 2022, 41 percent of households in the city of Fond du Lac made less than the basic cost of living, which meant they could not afford essentials like food, rent, transportation, and childcare. No one should be faced with the prospect of having to go without a meal to stay in their home. It is our hope that with programs like Blessed Bites and Summer Bites, we can ease the struggle that many of our neighbors are facing,” Holy Family Catholic Community Director of Human Concerns Erin Cobb said.

Last year, Summer Bites distributed nearly 4,000 meals. This year, Holy Family hopes to do so again.

Every Tuesday from June 10 to August 19, volunteers will pack upwards of 400 nutritious lunches, which will include a sandwich, water or juice, fruit, and a snack. Meals will be compiled through donations from parishioners and community members.

To reach people in all corners of the community, lunches will be distributed at ten locations—up from seven in 2024. Pickup locations and times are as follows:

· 11:00 to 11:20 am: Maplewood Commons, Martin Ave. and Hawthorne Dr.

· 11:00 to 11:20 am: Little Ceasar’s Parking Lot, Corner of North Main and West Scott Sts.

· 11:00 to 11:20 am: Fond du Lac Senior Center, 151 E. First St..

· 11:00 to 11:20 am: Fond du Lac Mobile Home Park, 550 Van Dyne Rd., at the entrance on Van Dyne Road

· 11:30 to 11:50 am: Buttermilk Park (parking lot by Amphitheatre), 701 S. Park Ave.

· 11:30 to 11:50 am: Church of Peace UCC, 158 S. Military Rd.

· 11:30 to 11:50 am: Lakeside Garden Apartments, North Peters Ave. across from St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store

· 11:30 to 11:50 am: Green Meadows Mobile Home Park, 300 N. Rolling Meadows Dr. (near mailboxes at Rolling Meadows Dr. entrance)

· 12:00 pm: St. Katharine Drexel Shelter, 358 N. Peters Ave.

· 12:00 pm: ADVOCAP Opportunity Center, 19 W. First St.

If you are interested in volunteering with the program or supporting it, please contact the Holy Family Parish Office at (920) 921-0580 for more information.

“We are blessed to live in a community where there are multiple food programs ready to help individuals and families make ends meet. When school is out, Summer Bites is our way of doing our part to ensure kids in our area can focus on having fun in the warm weather and not on whether there will be food to eat,” Cobb said.