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category icon Editorials, Opinion

An incredible group of people will gather together this weekend to make sure that no child will go hungry this summer.

“It’s a great time of year to be a kid — to run, play, have fun, sleep in, do whatever you want — unless you’re one of those students who are dependent on that free lunch at school,” said St. Matthew Lutheran Church Pastor Robert Barber. “All of a sudden, the summer becomes a time where you’re wondering where your next meal will come from.”

Barber and representatives from other churches including Bethel Community, Calvary Community, Parkside, St. Anne’s Episcopal and NorthLake Church, have joined forces to find a solution.

In an effort that is being referred to as “Impact Camas-Washougal,” volunteers have been purchasing a variety of items including canned fruits and vegetables, boxed meals and snacks, as well as essentials such as tooth paste, shampoo and soap.

On Sunday at noon, in Parker’s Landing Historical Park at the Port of Camas-Washougal, volunteers will organize and box up the donations. The boxes will then be delivered to every school in the Camas and Washougal school districts so that educators can distribute them to youth and their families who need a little bit of extra help during the summer months.

A shopping list of all of the items being collected is available at www.impactcw.org. Donations from the public will be accepted during the event on Sunday, when there will also be a community barbecue.

According to Barber, the effort is a chance to impact the community — with love.

“We will be the difference, and change the hearts and lives of kids forever,” he said.