ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis husband and wife team who run a local non-profit group and a south city restaurant are trying to tackle childhood hunger during the summer months.
Five Acres Bar B Que on Shaw Boulevard near I-44 and Tower Grove Park is serving breakfast and lunch free to children seven days a week.
Antonio Ellis runs the restaurant and his wife, Latoshia Ellis, runs the non-profit called Equitable Education Partnership.
The restaurant and non-profit have come together to help feed children for free. Any child can come out. There are no questions asked or qualifying conditions which need to be met.
Latoshia tells us childhood hunger is always an issue but it can be even more serious during the summer months because kids are out of school and are not getting free or reduced cost meals.
That is among the reasons why she and her husband started this program.
The meals are served every day Sunday through Saturday. Breakfast runs from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. Lunch starts at 10:30 a.m. and continues until 12:30 p.m.
This program is being funded through a USDA grant.
Organizers say the goal is to feed 600 kids a day to help prevent childhood hunger.
They’re also having giveaways such as gas cards for participating families while supplies last.
Latoshia says adults, including those with physical or mental disabilities, are able to take advantage of this program as well.
The grant runs until August 20th.
