How United Way's "Let's Feed Our Children" Program Is Fighting Summer Hunger | Along the Rock

Join host Kierstyn Long on this episode of Along the Rock as she welcomes Keri Olson, executive director of United Way of Whiteside County, to discuss the 25th anniversary of the Let’s Feed Our Children program.Learn how this community-driven initiative provides thousands of free meals to children throughout Whiteside County each summer. Keri shares how the program has grown, the increasing need for food assistance, and how local volunteers, businesses, and organizations come together to ensure no child goes hungry while school is out.In this episode:• The history of Let’s Feed Our Children• How the program has grown over the past 25 years• Where families can pick up free meals• Volunteer opportunities and community support• The impact of rising food costs on local families• Information about Dolly’s Book Bash and other United Way programsMeal distribution takes place every Wednesday throughout the summer at locations across Whiteside County, including Sterling, Rock Falls, Fulton, Morrison, Erie, Albany, Lyndon, Prophetstown, and Tampico.For more information about Let’s Feed Our Children, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming events, visit United Way of Whiteside County’s website and social media pages.👉 Don’t forget to like, share, comment and subscribe for more local stories from the Sauk Valley and beyond.🎧 Listen to the full podcast and explore more at https://theradar.online🎤 Highlights:0:00 Intro0:23 Meet Kari Olson of United Way of Whiteside County0:46 The history of "Let's Feed Our Children" and its 25th anniversary1:23 Program growth and increased demand2:00 Community businesses helping with logistics2:38 Why the need for food assistance continues to grow3:31 How families receive meals (no registration required)4:19 Four lunches in every bag and how they're packed5:09 Returning weekly for free meals6:04 Lunch pickup locations in Rock Falls and Sterling6:39 Meal times and backup distribution at New Life Church7:15 Reaching children with the greatest need7:57 Serving more than 4,000 meals each week8:24 How volunteers and donations make the program possible9:15 Why volunteers are still needed this summer10:07 Community support and donated supplies10:58 A program run by the community for the community11:19 Dolly's Book Bash and literacy programs12:02 Where to find information and meal locations12:24 Closing remarks13:55 Viewer message and subscribe reminderFollow us on all social media platforms below:https://www.facebook.com/radarfreepresshttps://www.youtube.com/@radarfreepresshttps://open.spotify.com/show/0dOeaVg1JI0ump4iD0rIHkhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/along-the-rock/id1773156790https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-along-the-rock-245007958/https://rumble.com/radarfreepresshttps://www.tiktok.com/@radarfreepresshttps://x.com/radarfreepresshttps://www.instagram.com/radarfreepress/https://www.threads.net/@radarfreepress#AlongTheRock #UnitedWay #LetsFeedOurChildren #WhitesideCounty #SummerMeals #FightHunger #CommunityStrong #RockFallsIL #SterlingIL #DixonIL #UnitedWayWhitesideCounty #Volunteer #FoodInsecurity #Nonprofit #RadarFreePress #IllinoisNonprofits #CommunitySupport #FeedKids #LocalNews