While in the midst of a heart-wrenching high school break-up, Nicholas Elkins, who is now a 20-year-old college student, received some advice from his great-uncle that proved perfect.
“He said: ‘Turn the hurt, sadness and pain into something good,’” Elkins recalled. “I took his advice and dove head-first into Lunches of Love. I volunteered every day for as long as I could.”
Volunteering for Lunches of Love — a local nonprofit that delivers nutritional lunches to students in Lamar Consolidated ISD and Fort Bend ISD when school isn’t in session, like the weekends, holidays, and spring and summer breaks — opened Elkins’ eyes.
“I saw the huge impact Lunches of Love is making in the community by helping children reach their full potential and helping families survive.”
Elkins noted that the exchange between a volunteer and a child is priceless, describing how the children smile upon receiving their lunches.
“Smiles are infectious and can go along way,” Elkins said. “You never know what one person is going through and the impact you make not by just handing out lunches, but smiles, [too].
“Smiles can be uplifting and life-saving.”
The backbone of the organization
Lunches of Love creator and director Adriane Gray stressed that without its scores of volunteers, Lunches of Love would not be as successful as it is.
The program began by feeding 150 children. Now the program provides thousands of children with lunches.
In June 2015, Lunches of Love served its millionth free lunch and by July 2017 it had served its two millionth meal.
When Hurricane Harvey devastated the area the following month, the program immediately absorbed about 500 more children into the program.
“In 2017, we had over 8,000 [volunteers] walk through our doors,” Gray said. “It makes your heart happy to see so many volunteers of all ages want to do good and give back to their community.”
For the extended school holiday sessions to run smoothly, the organization requires about 110 dedicated volunteers every day and during the school year, about 50 volunteers are needed each Wednesday to handle the weekend lunches.
“Volunteers are the backbone to our organization,” Gray said. “Without our amazing volunteers, our program would not exist.”
Being a part of the solution
This summer marks the 10th consecutive year Lunches of Love has coordinated its 55 days of summer lunches, which began in June and ends Aug. 24.
In the summer session alone, 4,000 students will be served.
Lunches of Love began in 2009 and currently serves 18 Title 1 schools: 15 elementary schools and three middle schools. The organization hopes to add two schools to the FBISD route this fall.
“We are a year-round program,” said Tracy Kilpatrick of Richmond. “We don’t take a break when school is out.”
For the past five years, Kilpatrick, 42, who volunteers for the R&R Aquatics program and the Frost Elementary PTO, has also volunteered for Lunches of Love.
“No child should go hungry and if it’s happening in my community then I want to be a part of the solution,” said Kilpatrick, who volunteers along with her husband and daughter.
“This program happens rain or shine. On days when it’s tough to get out of bed, you just think of all the kids who will walk or ride a bike in the rain to get their lunch and it gets you on your feet.”
During the school year, 2,500 students are served each weekend.
School-year lunches begin the second week of the school year to allow teachers and staff a full week to identify with any new students, Gray said, explaining that school staff determines which students need weekend care packages.
“Many children living in families facing food insecurity rely on school lunch as their only meal of the day,” she added. “Lunches of Love is here to help fill the gap.”
Lunches are also provided to every child living in the household who is 18 or younger.
“I think that the organization is really unique in that it approaches the issue of childhood hunger in a grassroots manner,” said Richmond volunteer Shawna Russo.
“Every fruit cup, decorated bag and minute spent delivering directly impacts the children of the local community, improving each and every one of their lives. There’s not another local organization that I can think of that is so involved within the local area in this way.”
Russo, who has been with the program since 2014 and also volunteers at the Rosenberg Railroad Museum, said she “[admires] how much Lunches of Love has grown in recent years and continues to do so.”
“There are so many people who have been reached by the program,” she said. “And there’s still so much to be accomplished.”
Making it a family affair
Greatwood volunteer Brandy Winner, 44, finds joy in the fact that Lunches of Love encourages entire families to volunteer.
“I know that when I am at Lunches of Love, that I am making a positive difference in my community and I really love that,” she said.
“It is one of the only organizations that you can do with your entire family,” Winner added, noting that her children and husband volunteer when they can. “There is a job for every age.”
Adult volunteers deliver lunches to the children and their families, older children work on the assembly line or kitchen and little children decorate the iconic Lunches of Love bags.
Volunteers as young as two years old and as old as 92 years have given time to the nonprofit.
“If you can hold a crayon and count to five, we have a job for you,” Gray said with a laugh.
There is much to be admired about Lunches of Love said Hayden Degeyter,13, of Greatwood.
“They make so many lunches every day no matter what happens,” he said. “[Once when] there was no electricity volunteers used flashlights on their phones and water bottles to illuminate the kitchen. Whatever obstacles happen, Mrs. Adriane finds a solution.”
“Make a donation and volunteer,” he added. “It’s a good cause.”
Another Greatwood volunteer, Jennifer Cox, volunteers every Wednesday with her dad — “We are the crazy weekend care package packing duo,” she added with a laugh.
“I wanted to support [ Gray] and the mission that she was trying to accomplish in Fort Bend County,” Cox said, explaining she attended high school with Gray. “Learning about the need right here in our own backyard and having the ability to help at a grass-roots level was important.”
Tanya Justice also volunteers for Lunches of Love, along with her daughter and husband.
Additionally, Justice’s mother, who is from New Jersey, volunteers for Lunches of Love when she is in town.
“She even brings suitcases of bags back on each trip that she and members of her Marine Corps Auxiliary League [with the] Department of New Jersey make during the year,” Justice said. “We have even made the Lunches of Love Gala an annual [family] event.”
Preparing to feed the future
In January 2019, Lunches of Love will celebrate its 10th year of serving Fort Bend County families, and it is not lost on Gray how important this milestone will be, especially because it highlights a concern the nonprofit is currently facing: the lack of a permanent home.
“First United Methodist Church in Rosenberg has generously given us space for the past nine years, but with our ever-growing program and the need for additional space, we need to find a home that will allow us to have a permanent footprint to continue feeding our future.”
To date, Lunches of Love shares the space with the church and its activities and ministries.
“Maybe Ellen DeGeneres will magically make that happen,” said Cox with a laugh. “Or someone else who’s a little less famous, but also with a generous heart to help this dream become a reality.”
Gray has faith the next challenge for Lunches of Love will be met because of its current support.
“What began as a dream to help children living in food-insecure homes at one school has flourished into serving 18 schools with two host sites,” she said. “It takes many volunteers to make our organization run smoothly and lots of donors who believe in our mission and the impact we are making in the community to make our program successful.
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every volunteer, sponsor and donor. Without these loyal friends, we would not exist. We would not be able to changes lives and ensure that our community children in need have the food they need to grow.
“Together, we are feeding our future.”
