25 Years of Fighting Summer Hunger
This summer, United Way of Whiteside County (UWWC) will celebrate 25 years of making sure no child in Whiteside County goes hungry when school is out. Let’s Feed Our Children, the free summer meal program that has grown into one of the most far-reaching child hunger programs in the area, begins its 2026 season on Wednesday, May 27th, and runs weekly through Wednesday, August 5th.
Each Wednesday, families can pick up grab-and-go bags containing four free, kid-friendly meals at any of the programs 17 distribution sites across 11 communities. No registration or paperwork is needed, all children or teens are welcome.
“What started as a small, local response to summer hunger has grown into something that reflects the very best of this community,” said Keri Olson, CEO of United Way of Whiteside County. “Twenty-five years in, we are reaching more kids in more places than ever before, and that is because of the volunteers, donors, and partners who show up every single week. This anniversary is theirs as much as it is ours.”
The program started during one of the most difficult economic moments in Whiteside County’s modern history. When Northwestern Steel and Wire closed its doors in 2001, the community lost thousands of jobs virtually overnight. Families were thrust into sudden financial hardship. Community leaders and local organizations recognized that without the safety net of school meals, kids would go hungry in the summer.
Let”s Feed Our Children was born from that response to a community in crisis.
Twenty-five years later, the program continues to serve a community where need has never disappeared. Since the Covid 19 pandemic, Let's Feed Our Children has expanded from 15,000 meals distributed in 2021 to more than 46,000 meals served in 2025. UWWC is projecting to serve 50,000 meals in 2026.
2026 Program Locations
Meals will be distributed at the following sites every Wednesday, May 27th through August 5th, from 12 to 12:30 p.m.:
Albany
United Methodist Church
Erie
Village Office
Fulton
First Reformed Church
Lyndon
Village Office
Morrison
Crossroads Community Church
Prophetstown
Eclipse Square Shelter
Rock Falls
Coloma Homes
Merrill School
Rock Falls Public Library
Rotary Park
Sterling
Broadway Methodist
Latin American Social Club
Scheid Park
St. Paul Apartments
Ster-Lynn Apartments
Wallace School
Tampico
Wietenkamp Hall
Let”s Feed Our Children is made possible by the generosity of individual donors, local businesses, community organizations, and grant funders who believe every child deserves reliable access to food, regardless of the time of year.
UWWC continues to seek community support to sustain and grow the program.
For more information about Let”s Feed Our Children, to find the nearest meal site, or to learn how to support the program through a donation or volunteering, contact United Way of Whiteside County at (815) 625-7973 or visit www.uwwhiteside.org.