Refuge Feeding Program update

The Refuge Christian Community Center in Olney upped the number of meals served to children during its Summer Feeding Program this year and added an ESL [English as a Second Language] program to help Spanish- speaking children whose parents recently moved to town for work, Refuge director Rodney Nantz said.

Participation in the program varied last year, with The Refuge serving anywhere from 25 or 30 meals to occasionally as many as 60 meals per day, he said.

“We’ve had a tremendous increase in meals that we have served … 50-60 meals [per day] that are consistent,” Mr. Nantz said. He added that the ESL classes, held from 1 p.m.- 2 p.m., were a draw for South American families who legally immigrated to Olney, and their participation accounts for much of the increase in the feeding program numbers.

Mayor Rue Rogers said the families work locally and came to Olney through an employment agency. “They are all legal through E-Verify,” he said.

Mr. Nantz said that The Refuge board president Lyndsey Miller wanted to put together a program for the new families.

“We pick [the children] up and they just stay an hour extra,” he said. “We are able … to get them a head start in school to help them.”

The children, who range in age from 10 to 18 years old, also attend bible study with a Spanish-speaking church member, he said.

“The [Spanish-speaking] population here in Olney is increasing,” he said. “If they are coming here, we are going to find a way to bridge that communication gap.”

The Refuge also saw an increase in attendance for its other programs, and plans to hold its after- school program and Fifth Quarter post-football game parties in conjunction with Olney Independent School District, he said.