Thanks to several grants and lots of volunteer efforts, Restore Community Center, 210 N. Main St., now provides free community lunches. The program began this summer.

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The lunches are available each weekday except Tuesday, since weekly community dinners are provided at ReStore on that evening.

Retired Biology teacher Jane Wilkerson, lunch coordinator, provides a menu ranging from chili soup, shepherd’s pie, hot dogs, potato chips and chicken casseroles for the noon meals.

Wilkerson grew up in Ada and moved away when she became a teacher. Upon retiring, she moved back to Ada. “It’s (the lunches) a reason to get up every day,” she laughs.

On the day of this interview, Wilkerson cooked the meal at home, arrived at ReStore and 10 a.m. and stayed until 1:30 p.m.

During a typical week between 60 and 80 meals are served. On the day this feature was written 24 persons enjoyed the meal. The lunches have served residents from 12-year-olds to 90-year olds.

The meals are free, and those attending may make donations if they wish.

Karen Ward, one of ReStore’s founders, says that grants that support the program come from United Way of Hardin County, the Hardin County Foundation and Cargill, which provides food grants to the West Ohio Food Bank. ReStore is a West Ohio Food Bank partner.

Ward said, “We didn’t know what to expect when we started the noon lunches. I think we can serve a wider range of persons as word of mouth spreads.”

The lunches are available to residents of the Ada, Upper Scioto Valley and Hardin Northern school districts.

Volunteers in the lunch program include Wilkerson, Barb Hayter, Rayola Risner, Jon Umphress, Linda Dearth and Robert and Nancy McCool.

Lee Ann Pryor, ReStore director, says the noon meal is in no way a soup kitchen. It’s a community meal and our focus is on nutrition and rebuilding community.”

Both Pryor and Ward added that the lunch program is part of ReStore’s efforts to be a place of fellowship where a by-product is bringing people together – getting them out of the house.

Donations are appreciated in the lunch program, particularly paper goods and soft drinks. Persons organizations interested in make contributions may contact Pryor at Restore.