Lidl and the municipality bring free park lunches for children – vegetables to plates and jobs for young people
In Janakkala, a new way to support families with children will be piloted in June: in Tervakoski and Turenki children will be offered a free park lunch. The project is a joint response by Lidl, the municipality, MLL Janakkala and the Food Education Association Ruukku to children’s long summer without school meals.
In Finland, nearly 14 percent of children live in low-income families, and child poverty is on the rise. Children need lunch even during school holidays. Children’s eating habits are also a nationally significant concern: only one percent of preschool-aged children eat vegetables according to the recommendations. At the same time, according to statistics, Finland is the third-most overweight nation in Europe.
The free park meals will be held on weekdays from June 2-18 at 12:00 in the yard of Tervakoski Community Hall and in the park next to Janakkala municipal hall in Turenki. Lidl will provide a varied selection of home-cooked food, dipping vegetables and fruit for the meals. To minimize litter and waste, participants are asked to bring their own dishes. On the first days of the park meal weeks (June 2, 8, 15) Lidl will distribute lunch boxes to participants.
“We want to help the everyday life of families with children in Janakkala by offering healthy home-cooked meals to children during the first weeks of the summer holidays. Park lunch is a wonderful tradition, and together with expert partners we can offer a low-threshold way to get to know vegetables through play and shared activities,” says Lidl’s head of corporate responsibility Maija Moisander.
Practical arrangements are assisted by eight teenage summer employees hired by the municipality of Janakkala, which makes the project an important local employer of young people.
Play, togetherness and taste workshops
In addition to the meals, the parks will focus on togetherness and learning. The side programme for the meals is organised by the Janakkala branch of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL).
The Food Education Association Ruukku will bring a Taste School to the parks on June 2 and 8, where children can explore the world of flavors through play and activities. At the park meals, visitors can also meet Lidl’s carrot and tomato mascots.
The park meal season will culminate in joint Midsummer celebrations held at the end of the project on June 18.
“This is an excellent example of how the municipality, companies and organisations can work together to create regional wellbeing and respond to national challenges at the local level. At the same time we can offer summer jobs to young people,” says the head of youth services Sanna Laine from the municipality of Janakkala.