Livingston County students, seniors can get free lunches this summer: Here's how

M. Alan Scott
·2 min read

LIVINGSTON COUNTY — During the school year, students who often go without are provided free meals. Summertime complicates that system — but the annual Summer Lunch Bunch Program helps fill the gap.

Livingston County students and seniors over 60 can collect free meals through the program, managed by the Salvation Army, from now through Aug. 9. In addition to lunch, families may qualify for a pantry pack, which includes boxed or canned meal staples and various types of fresh produce.

The Salvation Army has run Summer Lunch Bunch in Livingston County for over a decade, according to organization representative Robert Leach. He added demand seems to be increasing.

“We ran out of lunches at three sites (the week of June 10) and we’re generally giving out 40 to 60 lunches per day,” he said.

Lunches are distributed at various sites around Livingston County, including the Hamburg Township Library on Mondays, Brighton Village on Tuesdays, the Fowlerville District Library on Wednesdays, Howell Estates on Thursdays, and Hartland Meadows on Fridays.

Other sites, like the Howell Carnegie Library and H.T. Smith Elementary in Fowlerville, provide one-off distributions throughout the summer. A full list of sites, dates and details is available at salvationarmylivingston.org.

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The program is funded in part by the Michigan Department of Education’s Meet Up and Eat Up Program and Livingston County's Senior Nutrition Program. The Salvation Army supplements as needed from its Red Kettle Campaign during the holidays and other fundraising events.

Leach said there’s typically a healthy mix of both students and seniors collecting lunches and other resources at the distribution sites. The demand from seniors has been particularly high since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“(The number of people we see) can vary quite a bit," Leach said. "We have to be ready for anything. It's an important program."

Students collecting lunches must be present and are required to eat at least part of their lunch on-site to qualify. Learn more by calling 517-295-4344.

— M. Alan Scott is a freelance writer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Summer Lunch Bunch returns in Livingston County this summer