A new School-Based Mentoring Program that is provided by Kinship Partners called ‘Lunch Buddies’ is making its way to Brainerd.

The ‘Lunch Buddies’ program, which is designed to introduce students and adults to the art of mentoring, has already been implemented in area communities such as Staples, Motley, Pequot Lakes and Crosby. Both the Harrison and Riverside Elementary schools in Brainerd also started the Lunch Buddies program as of last year.

Now the plan is for Garfield Elementary to join up as well. The hope is that all elementary schools in ISD 181 will be involved soon. Cathy Nault, the principle for Harrison Elementary, spoke highly of the mentoring program, saying that “Having a student do something they’re interested in one-on-one with an adult is going to have a positive impact. I think that’s fabulous.”.

The problem now is that Lunch Buddies is growing quicker than anticipated and with the recent loss of key funding, the program is in danger of losing some of the lunch programs this upcoming fall.

$10,000 needs to be raised before October 1st to help launch two new Lunch Buddy programs in the Brainerd area this fall.

Here is how far your donations can go:

• $28 – Provides activity supplies for one Lunch Buddy match for the school year
• $70 – Delivers mentor lunches for one entire school for a month
• $105 – Covers the cost to recruit, screen and train a Lunch Buddy mentor
• $250 – Provides Lunch Buddy activity supplies for an entire school for a year
• $375 – Supports a Lunch Buddy match for an entire year

 

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO LUNCH BUDDIES PROGRAM