Free summer lunch program in Natrona at risk of cancellation

A summer lunch program that feeds up to 20 children in Natrona Community Park is in danger of being canceled after organizers claimed there is a lack of security at the concession stand, among other liability issues.

The Building Block of Natrona, a nonprofit that runs the program through a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, notified Harrison commissioners this month that it would suspend the lunch program until their concerns are addressed.

“The stand has been broken into twice that we know of since 2019,” Building Block President Tricia Ritchie said.

“Individuals are able to pull the window up to gain access. Twice, we’ve arrived for food service to find the window open. We don’t want to be blamed if someone gets into the stand.

“Currently, the video cameras do not capture images at the stand at night because the lighting is poor by the stand.”

Township officials are aware of the issues brought by Ritchie and are working to address park procedures, said township Manager Amy Rockwell.

In the meantime, the commissioners are committed to seeing the food program continue without disruption.

“They have asked that I look into the program and see if it can be continued by another group,” Rockwell said.

Run by the federal government, the summer food service program serves free, healthy meals and snacks to participants 18 and younger in low-income areas.

According to the Building Block website, more than half of Natrona households are considered to be living in poverty. Meals include breakfast and lunch weekdays throughout the summer.

“The commissioners do not want to see the program end for the township and are investigating their options,” Rockwell said.

Park usage and procedures are among board priorities this year, Rockwell said, but they haven’t been addressed because of limited staffing over the past few months.

The township was without a manager for several months before Rockwell’s hiring this year.

“(Park rules) are something that we were working on for spring 2023,” she said.

Ritchie said her group has brought its concerns to Harrison officials’ attention for several years.

Most recently, at a public meeting in February 2022, Ritchie said the commissioners conceded that a lack of policies was an issue and assured the group would it would receive attention.

“We haven’t heard a peep,” Ritchie said. “We pulled our summer art/sport supplies and coolers on the last day of service last year, and we removed our tubs holding Boo Bash items. We’re afraid there will be another break-in.”

Other issues include no clear indication of whether Building Block is allowed to serve lunch from inside the concession stand. Ritchie said she would like to buy a convection oven to serve hot meals but has received no clarity from the township.

A significant concern, she said, is that an unknown number of people have keys to the concession stand.

“If a group of people break into that stand and someone gets hurt, or God forbid dies, we could be liable if we’re the last known group to use the stand before the incident,” Ritchie said. “There are no written policies or cameras to protect our organization from anyone claiming we didn’t lock up the building correctly.

“We’ve stated since the beginning that we think a township employee should be responsible for opening/closing the building for all events.”

Rockwell is aware of discussions regarding park users and said she was under the impression that scheduling conflicts were not a problem.

“There was also discussion about the roll-up window being lifted,” she said. “Upon review of this in January, it was determined that it was open roughly about one or two inches, which is unfortunately typical of these types of windows if the person did not secure it properly after use.

“It has been my experience that this opening, while not ideal, does not provide a sufficient opening for damage or present a security issue.”

Ritchie said other Building Block programs will continue at the park because they don’t require use of the concession stand.