Community steps up to combat food insecurity

With school closed for the next two weeks, many students will be left without a reliable source for meals. Free and reduced lunches are a valuable source for students in poverty, and the closure of schools affects when and where they can get nutrition. 

The community has taken notice of this. The Sunrise Project has started a “sharing shelf” at their headquarters near Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. The shelf is stocked with goods spanning from canned foods to toilet paper. Anyone is welcome to take what they need, and those with extra are encouraged to leave supplies on the shelf for others. 

Another business that has stepped up to the plate to feed people in need is Ladybird Diner. In an Instagram post, the popular Lawrence eatery pledged to provide free sack lunches to anyone who needs them. 

“We all need something to do with our hands and hearts right now,” they said in an Instagram post on the 14th. “We can’t personally reach everyone who needs help in our community, but lots of you probably know someone who could use a sandwich. We can’t do a lot, but we can do that much.” 

Ladybird is currently closed, but from 11 a.m. to noon, anyone can drop by to pick up a sack lunch in the front of the restaurant. 

Lawrence Public Schools also created a program to provide breakfast for anyone ages 0-18. The free “grab and go” breakfast and lunch is from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays. Students can pick up their meals at Hillcrest, Kennedy, and Schwegler Elementary and Billy Mills and Liberty Memorial Middle School.