"If we can help out, that's wonderful:" Brewers wives help build summer lunches for kids

“If we can help out, that`s wonderful:” Brewers wives help build summer lunches for kids

"If we can help out, that`s wonderful:" Brewers wives help build summer lunches for kids

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Forty-six percent of Milwaukee's children live in poverty and can go hungry. It's particularly tough in the summer if there are no school lunch programs. To help, the Salvation Army and an army of volunteers spent time preparing summer lunches.

"This is the beginning of something extraordinary," Salvation Army Major Stephen Yoder said.

The excitement in Major Yoder's voice could be heard across Red Arrow Park on Monday, June 23rd as more than 50 volunteers gathered to make sandwiches for children in Milwaukee.

Community leaders, individuals and several Milwaukee Brewers wives joined the assembly line.

Karen Roenicke, the wife of Brewers skipper Ron Roenicke and the other Brewers wives are moms and teachers, so they understand the importance of kids getting lunch during the summer months -- when they're not getting it at school.

"It is sad. It really is sad, so if this can help out in any way and if we can help out that`s wonderful," Karen Roenicke said.

1,800 sandwiches paired with fruit were bagged up on Monday.

The Salvation Army will distribute them to needy children, because unfortunately, summer can mean the one balance meal kids are guaranteed every day disappears.

"We have children out there that should be playing and laughing and having a grand old time but you and I both know that that`s very difficult when your stomach is rumbling and your hungry," Major Yoder said.

Last year, the Salvation Army gave out 127,000 meals.

This year, that number will grow by 3,000.

"Too many thousands up from last year. In terms of numbers, there really is only one that counts and that`s the number one. We`ve got to let that kid know -- one child, we want them to know that somebody cared and somebody came out," Major Yoder said.

This year, the Salvation Army added two new stops to the program, totaling 24 over the next 10 weeks.

Meals will be made available at the following locations/times from June 23rd through August 29th):