Community | March 22 2019

What if your last day of school was also your last day of lunch?

Summers of racing down the sidewalks and playing kickball with friends do not exist for some kids. Some kids are hungry, tired, can’t focus and have no energy to play. Mostly because they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

On average, summer vacation is about 12 weeks between the last day of the old school year and the first day of the new school year. That’s about 120 meals that 83% of eligible Metro Detroit kids are not eating.

Meet Up and Eat Up changes that.

Meet Up and Eat Up is a federal meal program supported by United Way for Southeastern Michigan. It provides free breakfast and lunch for children 18 and younger Monday through Friday all summer long. In 2018, more than 3 million meals were served at more than 700 sites across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

Coming up on March 26, 70 FCA employees will be running 100 miles in under eight hours inside our headquarters in Auburn Hills to raise money for Meet Up and Eat Up. The entire effort is being organized by our Mopar division, which is not only dedicated to service in parts, but service in people too.

How can you help? A $10 donation – think two lattes – feeds one Metro Detroit child about 120 meals all summer.

Feeling more generous? A $50 donation will fund an entire Meet Up and Eat Up site for two weeks.

Donate at moparrunsforkids.com

Spread the word! If you or someone you know is in need of a Meet Up and Eat Up site, Dial 2-1-1 or text FOOD to 877-877 to find your nearest location.