Published: November 13, 2009 11:39 am      

Tending to the ‘cubs’

Program helps to feed hungry children

PLAINFIELD — After learning about the number of children who go hungry in the community, Weir Thurman decided that it was time to take action.

Thurman, who heads the Lion’s Cubs program at St. Marks Episcopal Church here, said he learned about the need through church.

“My priest made a speech at church last summer about having come from a convention and describing how many kids go hungry over the weekend,” Thurman said. “The last meal they eat is at school at lunch. Until Monday morning they don’t have anything to eat.”

Thurman said he did some research of his own and found there was indeed such a problem. He began the Lion’s Cubs program almost two months ago.

“We have a kitchen there at St. Mark’s where we prepare meals for people,” he said. “We’ve never done anything like that for children. The kitchen there is called the Lion’s Den.”

Due to privacy issues, Thurman was having a difficult time finding children in need, so he took a different approach.

“We couldn’t get anybody to sign up,” Thurman said. “The schools wouldn’t talk to you, the agencies that provide food wouldn’t talk to you because of privacy issues. So I just parked myself outside the food pantry at St. Mark’s with a sign that said if you have hungry children on the weekends to sign up.”

That approach worked. Since then, Thurman and the other volunteers have been feeding 80 to 90 children each weekend. The children receive three meals — one hot meal and two sack lunches.

It didn’t take long for word to spread.

“This is all over the county now,” Thurman said. “Brownsburg, Lizton, Plainfield, Clayton, all the way down almost to Mooresville, way out to New Winchester.”

Thurman said about a third of the families come in and pick up the meals on Friday. The rest of the meals are delivered like Meals-on-Wheels with a group of volunteer drivers.

“I spend all day Friday cooking and Friday evening delivering,” he said. “It’s the most exhilarating thing that I’ve ever done. It was a challenge first to even get it off the ground. The second challenge was to get St. Mark’s to recognize it as a ministry, which they did. I cannot believe the people who have helped and put time in. It’s been very exciting.”

Thurman said help and donations have come from several sources.

“Part of (the food) comes from the outreach ministry at St. Marks, where we provide food for the homeless in downtown Indianapolis,” he said. “We have donations and we are looking for other donations. We have people that donate at church. We get boxes from KFC to put the food in. We just take whatever we can get.”

Anyone interested in donating to the Lion’s Cub program, can stop by St. Marks or call Thurman at 491-7780.

“Basically, we are feeding a child for $3 the whole weekend or $150 per year,” Thurman said. “If they want to sponsor a child, that would be great.”

St. Mark’s is at 710 E. Buchanan St., Plainfield.



ryan.palencer@flyergroup.com