Royal Purple

Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Alison Wisneski Ashley Godrey, senior, is being served free lunch by Skip Braun, a third-year volunteer for the First United Methodist Church's outreach for university students.

Free lunch at the First United Methodist Church provided 464 meals during a two-hour period on Oct. 16, which broke their old record.

The program has been in existence for over seven years and nearly 50,000 lunches have been served during that time. There are currently 22-23 lunches per year that are consumed by anywhere from 8,000-9,000 students.

A healthy portion of the food served every Tuesday is acquisitioned through some sort of donation, Sandy Hiebert, University Ministry Coordinator said.

"The free lunch program is a way to show students that God loves them, that they are cared about and that we support their pursuit of education," Hiebert said.

Free Lunch is expected to grow to record numbers this fall and students like Nick Guenther, junior, are the reason why.

"I came my second week of freshman year and I haven't stopped coming since," Guenther said. "It's the best place to go on Tuesdays for lunch. I even dropped a class so I could go."

Brian Duchemin, senior, applauded the program for its quality food and the fact that it's free.

"It saves us college kids money and provides us with a home cooked meal," Duchemin said.

Andrew Schulz, junior, said he liked the overall organization displayed by the volunteers.

"There wasn't a snag in the system and the food was delicious," Schulz said.

A major part of the Tuesday Free Lunch Program is the donations collected during the meal. The church uses monetary donations along with Sentry receipts to purchase water buffalo through the Heifer Project.

"I love free lunch because it's helping a good cause, Christi Trueblood said.

The Heifer Project boasts that a water buffalo is really three gifts in one. A water buffalo can produce up to two gallons of milk per day and also allow families to plant a one acre field in two days; as compared to the two weeks it would take to sow by hand.

To date, the church has purchased 12 water buffalo, two goats and one llama. Each of the 12 water buffalo were purchased with money donated by students.

"I'm glad to help donate to a charitable cause every week," Vince Lenarduzzi, senior, said.

Free lunch is available at 145 S. Prairie St. on Tuesdays from 10:45 a.m.-1 p.m.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools