The United Way of Northeastern Minnesota is looking for Lunch Buddies. It’s a mentoring program that matches elementary kids with caring adults. Volunteers eat with kids once a week throughout the school year.

The United Way started to develop this program in 2020 after community conversations about keeping local kids out of the justice system. Executive Director Erin Shay says the program is going well, “We have had parents you know give us reports that their child has struggled wanting to go to school, and when they know it’s their lunch buddy day, they really look forward to it.”

According to the United Way, 100% of mentees said Lunch Buddies made them feel cared for.

“On its face, Lunch Buddies is simple – playing games and doing activities for one hour a week,” said UWNEMN Education & Childhood Programs Specialist Sarah Gardeski. “But the program is so much deeper than that. I really believe volunteer mentors are changing lives.”

Volunteer mentors are needed for students in the following schools:

• Cherry School
• International Falls Elementary
• Keewatin Elementary
• Laurentian Elementary (Virginia)
• Merritt Elementary (Mountain Iron)
• Mesabi East Elementary (Aurora)
• Northeast Range School (Babbitt)
• North Star Elementary (Eveleth)
• Parkview Elementary (Virginia)
• Vaughan- Steffensrud Elementary (Chisholm)

To be a mentor you must want to work with and serve kids. Each volunteer is vetted and interviewed.

To apply to be a Lunch Buddies mentor, visit www.unitedwaynemn.org/lunch-buddies or call 218-215-2570.