The Crookston Public School’s Eat United Summer Meal Program had a great turnout, according to numbers provided by Food Service Director Emily Scheresky.
The program, which entered its 12th year in 2026, served around 3,700 meals to kids and adults at the Lion’s Pavilion at Ray Ecklund Park from June 1-July 30. Scheresky was encouraged by the program’s numbers this year, despite a few weather-related cancellations and warmer-than-average temperatures. “It’s really great to see a number like that at the end of the summer,” says Scheresky. “It really shows that we’re able to provide a service for the community that the community wants to participate in, which is very rewarding at the end of the summer too. I know my staff were happy to get a break at the end of the summer, of course, but they also really enjoy seeing the kiddos over at the park.”
Scheresky thanked the Crookston Parks and Recreation Department for their continued partnership in using the Lion’s Shelter to host the summer meal program, as that location is the hub for summer activities like tennis and Club Kid, which allows more kids to participate in the meal program and have a chance to properly refuel their bodies after their morning activities. “It’s really vital that we utilize locations like that where families and children are going to be already located at,” Scheresky explained. “It really makes it easier and a lower barrier of entry for students and families to participate in the program for sure. Making sure that we’re utilizing it at similar times as when Parks and Rec is using it is also really helpful to make sure that we are serving children when they are there.”
Scheresky also thanked the United Way of Crookston for its continued partnership in funding the summer meal program through an annual grant. She mentioned that the program’s continued growth will help solidify its continuation in 2027 and beyond. She also thanked the many staff members and volunteers from the community who donated their time to helping serve food four days a week through the summer. “Part of our way of funding this program is through a United Way grant that we apply for each year, and through that partnership that we’ve been able to have with them over the past over a decade now, has really made sure that this is a program that can be sustained for years to come,” says Scheresky. “So, we’d really like to thank them as well as our volunteers too for helping us out serving at the park as well. Without them, we definitely wouldn’t be able to have such a successful program.”
