As Lulu the Lunch Wagon made her last run for the summer on Aug. 26, staff at Healthy Lincoln County and many area volunteers had provided more than 30,000 free meals to children in Knox and Lincoln counties.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the state, Healthy Lincoln County is one of the largest sponsoring agencies for the summer food service program and coordinates more than 27 sites and three kitchens. The Boothbay Harbor kitchen is headed by Heidi Stevens, assisted by Laurie Brewer and Stephanie Holbrook, who have provided breakfasts and lunches for children 18 years old and under since the summer schedule started June 21.

The Boothbay Harbor kitchen provides meals going to the Clifford Park playground, Boothbay Region YMCA, Camp Knickerbocker and Campbell Creek on the peninsula and for Wiscasset Community Center, Maplewood and Whippoorwill neighborhoods and Sheepscot Bay apartments in Wiscasset.

That meant a 6 a.m. start for Stevens’ team and cooking, assembling and delivering 75-100 breakfasts and 170-225 lunches each weekday. Summer elementary schools at Boothbay and Wiscasset were also provided with meals. Volunteers at each site help supervise the efforts.

Free summer meals followed the same nutrition guidelines the state requires for schools. Breakfasts consisted of a muffin, bread or cereal, fruit and milk. Lunches consisted of a sandwich, salad or yogurt parfait and milk.  

Lee Emmons is the program coordinator for Healthy Lincoln County and joined the team June 1. During the summer, he also served as Lulu’s driver for the Wiscasset sites. He explained that this season was expanded due to the pandemic. “There are no financial qualifications to receive a meal for your child,” he said. Sometimes, thanks to generous donations from local organizations and area farms, books and additional fruits and vegetables were provided at no charge as well.

While the program has ended for this summer, Emmons is starting to work on plans for next summer and is looking for volunteers for the van in Wiscasset on Tuesdays and Thursdays in July and August. Anyone interested can contact Emmons at 563-1330 or via email at lemmons@healthylincolncounty.org