 Well, school is out for the summer and that means it's time to kick off Operation Sandwich in Brainerd. For this week's community spotlight, our Sarah Winkleman shows us how volunteers making sure local kids are fed this summer. Volunteers of all ages are taking over the kitchen to prepare food as Operation Sandwich kicks off for the summer. It's fun to see from the littlest of people all the way up to like the old people like there's jobs for everybody. A site of nearly 30 volunteers a day four times a week for three months is quite uplifting but it all started after a saddening conversation between a local pastor and some local youth about summer vacation. Well, we like playing outside in the summer but we don't have any food and I was like that's a problem. That conversation was six years ago and now Operation Sandwich is starting their sixth summer of serving the community. ISD 181 does have a significant number of children on the free and reduced lunch program. We're at about 40% on the free and reduced lunch program so it's important that these kids get something to eat when there are no school lunches available. In order to successfully complete Operation Sandwich, volunteers put on their gloves and pack 200 lunches a day to help make sure that local children are being fed. We like to feed children of all ages it is not an income based program anyone is welcome. A sack lunch filled with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich a piece of fruit a granola bar and one other snack item. It's fun to just be able to give out food to whoever needs it without having to ask questions. Volunteers are spread out at eight locations Monday through Thursday all summer long. We do send additional supplies with all of our volunteers so that if they do encounter an allergy they can make a sandwich on the spot and next week we hope to have some gluten free options as well. Thanks to Operation Sandwich last year 8,000 meals were handed out in Brainerd and this year they are on track for similar numbers. For this week's community spotlight in Brainerd Sarah Winkleman, Lakeland News. 100% of the food items are donations from the community and more information on how to donate or volunteer for Operation Sandwich can be found on our website lptv.org slash news. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.