Serving Children, Building Community

When school cafeterias close for the summer, many Story County families lose a dependable source of breakfast and lunch. The Summer Food Program in Story County bridges that gap, offering free, nutritious meals to children and teens.

Originally funded by the USDA, the sites at the Ames Public Library and the Ballard School District benefit from the support of the Mary Greeley Medical Center and other community partners. In addition to Ames and Huxley, an additional nine sites in the county are ensuring no child goes hungry.

“Food security is health security,” says Melissa McGarry, Executive Director of the Mary Greeley Foundation. “By investing in the organizations already rooted in these neighborhoods, we can keep kids strong, parents supported, and our whole region healthier.”

A Community Table at Ames Public Library

On weekdays from early June through mid‑August, the downtown library becomes a summer lunchtime hub. Meals prepared by the Ames Community School District arrive each morning, and at 11:30 a.m., volunteers begin serving.

“It’s amazing to see the relationships that are fostered through the meals, and the kids are so happy,” says Bri Anderson, Youth Services Manager. “They’re all sitting together and sharing tables—community builds right in front of you.”

The program has been offered in Ames for more than a decade, and in recent years, attendance has climbed sharply.

“We’re averaging about 130 meals a day, and on some days, we’ve served as many as 156,” Anderson says.

Library Director Sheila Schofer says the uptick results from the community need and the consistent support from funders.

“We are so grateful for Mary Greeley and our other partners,” she says. In addition to support from the Mary Greeley Foundation, the site receives funding from Chevron Renewable Energy Group and the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation. “People coming together can do big things, and this program is proof.”

A team of teen volunteers powers the effort under the guidance of two summer interns. Many of the volunteers come back year after year willing to help in any way that is needed.

“Our interns mentor younger teens and take ownership of everything,” Anderson says. “It’s wonderful to see them grow in confidence while serving the community. Frankly, we couldn't do it without them. They just get so into it. It is awesome to see.”

The Ames Public Library has embraced the community aspect of the meals, often planning programs like story times, STEM activities and even vision screenings around mealtimes. Schofer notes that offering the free summer meals is a fitting extension of the library’s mission of serving as a hub for the community to gather.

“It's so much more than just the meal we’re trying to provide,” Schofer says. “We are trying to provide as many resources as we can to help families make connections to services in the community that can help them.”

Grab‑and‑Go Success in Huxley

In Huxley, Eileen Lewis and Kathy Parmenter spearheaded the effort to launch a meal site when community members realized no program existed in the Ballard school district. Supported by several churches in the area, the program distributes meals two days a week.

“We provide three lunches on Tuesday and four lunches on Friday, so the kids get seven balanced meals,” Parmenter says. The menu features simple, kid‑friendly items—French‑toast sticks, waffles, deli sandwiches—plus fresh produce and milk.

Why did Parmenter step in?

“I just think everybody needs food to eat,” she says. “If your belly is empty and you don’t know where the next meal is coming from, how can you succeed at what you’re doing?”

The Ballard program now serves 100 to 110 children weekly. Surveys show families value the help.

“The kids enjoy the meals, look forward to them, and it’s been very helpful on their grocery bills,” says Parmenter, who feels buoyed by community response. “We couldn’t do it without the support we’ve gotten from Mary Greeley, our churches, and individual neighbors. It’s awesome to know people care.”

A Team Effort

Both meal sites rely on layers of collaboration:

• School nutrition staff who prepare safe, kid‑approved lunches.
• Youth and adult volunteers who distribute food and greet families.
• Partner agencies like United Way and Vision to Learn that present to participants, connecting visitors with health screenings, social‑service referrals, and literacy resources.
• Environmental partners who divert leftovers from the landfill through the City of Ames Food Waste Diversion Program.

For McGarry, that ecosystem is precisely why Mary Greeley and the Foundation invested.

“Health isn’t confined to exam rooms,” she says. “It happens when a librarian reads a story, when a teenager hands a younger child an apple, when a mom finds out there’s help with eyeglasses. We’re proud to stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with organizations making that possible.”