Published: 4/8/2020 12:04:30 PM
TURNERS FALLS — To help students who would normally rely on their schools for free lunches on the weekends, a group of volunteers are preparing free lunches on Saturday mornings.
The meals are prepared on Saturday mornings by former Turners Falls High School basketball coach Ted Wilcox, his wife, Toni, and Shady Glen owner Charles Garbiel, and then distributed outside the diner at 1 p.m. The lunches include a sandwich, chips, fruit and bottled water.
Still, buying the ingredients requires donations, and Wilcox is actively seeking supporters.
“We’re looking for people to help out the community — to help out their community,” he said.
To donate, call Wilcox at 413-325-5146.
Wilcox started the free lunches to help students who normally rely on the schools for free lunches on the weekends, and who might be struggling during the school closures that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. He called several local restaurants, seeking a legally certified space to prepare the food. Many were closed or did not respond, but Garbiel volunteered his restaurant at 7 Avenue A.
Wilcox leveraged some of his connections in the school community to find supporters — he mentioned that donors so far include local disc jockey Bobby C. Campbell and former Turners Falls High School volleyball coach Alex Temkin, who now lives in California.
“The more ways we can get the word out, the more kids we’re going to feed,” Wilcox said.
Last weekend marked the first food distribution, with about 30 lunches being passed out. Wilcox said any extra lunches were given to local low-income housing complexes.
Wilcox expects to continue the free lunches every weekend until the schools reopen. For now, the state has closed public schools until May 4.
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.