Our staff and volunteers served the final summer lunch of 2026 on Friday, August 21. The program was a roaring success again this year!
“The summer lunch program has become one of our favorite projects,” said Nicole McAlexander, executive director of SELCC. “It is such a joy to share delicious food with our neighbors each day. We truly appreciate all of the volunteers, staff, and donors who make this program possible.”
We served free lunches every weekday throughout the summer with the help of the First Presbyterian Church of Mount Vernon and the United Methodist Church of Mount Vernon (UMCMV). Meals were provided three days a week at SELCC in Lisbon; twice a week at First Presbyterian Church; and once a week at UMCMV. Meals were open to community members of all ages.
All lunches were prepared in our commercial kitchen by staff and volunteers. One hundred and sixty-five volunteers assisted with meals throughout the summer, providing nearly 920 hours of service. The program served 3,802 meals total, averaging 66 attendees per day. More than 110 diners enjoyed lasagna on June 18 — our highest attendance of the summer! Leftovers were packaged and distributed to community members through our self-serve area.
In addition to enjoying nourishing meals together with neighbors, participants were encouraged to select and take home fresh garden produce provided by our community gardens and local growers. Children had the opportunity to socialize and to stay for free enrichment activities on Tuesdays, as well as movies on Thursdays, in partnership with the Lisbon Public Library.
Partial funding was provided by grants from the Linn County Fund at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation and the Iowa United Methodist Foundation.
Our summer meals program will resume in June 2027. We can’t wait to serve you delicious lunches again next summer!