Summer Food and Fun Project

On Tuesday, the First Lady traveled to Tuscaloosa to be a part of the first day of the Summer Food and Fun Project. This program was started in the community because concerned citizens saw a need. A federal program is already in place at the McDonald Hughes Center that allows children under the age of 18 to come have one hot meal a day for free. This attracts 500-650 children each day and some arrive over two hours early just to get in line and wait. Instead of having them just sit against the wall, the SF&F Project was created. The goal is to incorporate reading, arts, health, and nutrition in to the lifestyles of the patrons of this facility.
During the two hours prior to lunch, these children engage in activities that help keep their minds active. Statistics show that students lose a lot of information over the summer and have to relearn material when school resumes. Hopefully this program can reduce the amount of relearning needed so that the children are able to advance on to new material.
The First Lady greeted all of the children participating, and hopes that the program will grow throughout the summer. They were excited to read to her, show her their art work, and ask her questions about the Mansion's garden.
This program is only possible through the hard work of dedicated volunteers so we thank all adults that are spending their time mentoring.