[Libs-Or] Snacks/food for programs?

[Wells, Erin]

Hey Melanie,

I'd recommend contacting the State of Oregon Summer Food Service Program. They provide funding for summer meals. We went through them a couple of years ago and they provided funds so we could pay for snacks for Summer Reading. There was a lot of training and paperwork involved, but it would be worth contacting them. We now budget for food for Summer Reading which is paid for by our Friends group and donations. We justify this by statistics on the poverty level in our area, and the number of children who experience food insecurity.

Is there any chance that you or your Director can approach your friends group about amending that by-law due to the circumstance you find yourself in? This seems like a situation they likely did not see coming when they wrote their by-laws.

Here is the State of Oregon SFSP info
https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/childnutrition/sfsp/Pages/default.aspx

Let me know if you have any questions about the summer food program, or anything else!

Erin Wells, MLS
Library Director / Milton-Freewater Public Library
541-938-8246
8 SW 8th Ave Milton Freewater OR, 97862

From: Libs-Or [mailto:libs-or-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf Of Melanie Hetrick
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2019 1:15 PM
To: libs-or at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
Subject: [Libs-Or] Snacks/food for programs?

Hi all,

I have an issue and am hoping I can get some insight. I have always served snacks/food at my summer programs. The big one is the cake and pizza I have for our final party in August.

Here's the thing: we have a county commissioner who is not library-friendly and has banned us from providing any kind of food at any kind of program in the library. He feels this is not a good a good use of taxpayer money and not a service the library should be providing. I have provided him with stats on the number of kids in our county that experience food insecurity but he doesn't care.

Our Friends group is not an option as they have a bylaw that states that they will not support ongoing library programming and the Foundation is in the same boat. For our kick-off party tomorrow I solicited donations from the community and have been warned about getting my hand slapped. I don't really care. I will feed kids no matter what it takes. But what I would like to do is get him off our backs.

Here's my question, finally: if your library offers snacks/food for programs, how do you fund it and, if you had to, how would you justify it? What do you think would happen to your programs if you stopped providing food?

Thanks in advance for any and all input.
Cheers!
Melanie Hetrick
Children's Specialist
Normal Work Week Tues-Sat
Tillamook County Library
1716 3rd. St
Tillamook, OR 97141
503-842-4792<tel:503-842-4792> ext: 1784
503-815-8194<tel:503-815-8194> (fax)
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