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Lunch and literacy

Munch and More offers meal, reading opportunity for area children

T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS Munch and More offers area children a free meal and the opportunity to read and be read to by volunteers from around the community. The children (and adults) enjoy the chance to read, and at the end of the week, the kids get to take home a free book.

Munch and More has returned to Marshalltown elementary schools this summer, and the aim is to help area students get a good meal and read a good book.

“There is a table full of books … the students come in, they eat lunch, and there are about two or three volunteers at each site,” said Munch and More coordinator Karina Hernández of Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA).

Continuing with a move made in 2016, Hernández said Munch in More has partnered with Marshall County Iowa State University Extension’s STEM Camp program during the month of June.

She said there are three main goals of Munch and More, part of the community initiative “Spread the Words – Read by 3rd!”

“One is attendance, another is school readiness and the other one is summer learning,” Hernández said. “Part of summer learning is trying to get kids to read during the summer in order to decrease summer learning loss.”

Specifically, she said getting children to read at least six books in the summer is a goal, as research shows that amount of reading can help curb summer learning loss.

This coming week, she said Munch and More and STEM Camp will be available at Rogers and Woodbury elementary schools all five days of the week.

With STEM Camp ending in July, Hernández added that Munch and More will be at Franklin, Rogers and Woodbury elementary schools until July 21. The program is set for 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Franklin, Tuesdays and Thursdays at Rogers, and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at Woodbury.

“Every Friday, they (the children) get to take a book home for free,” Hernández said, adding the only exception is at Rogers Elementary, where kids take home a free book on Thursday. “All students in the district can go, including younger siblings.”

The Marshalltown Public Library is another program partner, providing books for children to read. Additionally, children will be able to bring a Munch and More certificate to the library after the program ends to continue at the library’s reading program later this summer.

“There’s all sorts of books, the library does a really good job of providing books for all ages and all tastes,” Hernández said.

She added the program is volunteer-driven, and that, over the years, there have been several repeat volunteers who have come to read, and be read to, with the children.

“The volunteers that come in to read with the children are community members, some are community leaders,” Hernández said, adding the volunteers seem to enjoy the program as much as the kids. She added Lennox Industries and Emerson Process Management-Fisher Controls do a good job of providing volunteer readers.

Retired teachers and community members are also commonly seen volunteering with the program.

“If anybody’s interested in volunteering, they can contact me,” Hernández said.

Email karina.hernandez@micaonline.com for information on volunteering. For more on the district’s Summer Meals program, visit https://www.marshalltown.k12.ia.us/our-district/food-service/summer-meals-program/

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