Food serves a greater purpose than just being consumed; it is a powerful tool for promoting healthy growth, cognitive development, and overall wellness, particularly in children. These interconnected benefits can lead to academic success, paving the way for a bright future. Sarah Genereaux-Maddox, Library Director at Marion Area District Library, is conscious of this fact, inspiring her efforts behind the Gather 2 Grow program.
Established by Feeding America West Michigan, Gather 2 Grow is a summer lunch program carried out in collaboration with local libraries — like Marion Area District Library — that provides free, easily accessible, nutritious meals to children from infancy to age 18 and developmentally delayed adults up to age 26. The program is a preventative health intervention that provides meals to children at a time when other sources of food assistance, such as free or reduced lunch at school, are unavailable.
FAWM and Marion Area District Library teamed up in 2024, following an email from the food bank inquiring of the library’s interest in participating in the program. Given their trusted relationship with the food bank’s Cadillac branch, the question required no thought, Sarah and her staff were eager to join.
“We were excited to do it because it’s a free resource to the community,” Sarah said.
Free and reliable resources are vital to the wellbeing of communities like Marion, Michigan, and to the overall stability of Osceola County, where — according to 2023 Map the Meal Gap data — a significant share of its 23,112 residents, including 1,040 children (20%), face food insecurity. This struggle is visible in Marion, which Genereaux-Maddox describes as a food desert. In a place where affordable, nutritious options are scarce, families are left with few choices, and children bear the heaviest burden — particularly when it comes to their growth, health, and educational success.
According to the National Library of Medicine, if a child is hungry, it “will suppress all other higher-order needs, including active engagement in the learning process, to satisfy hunger since their motivational priority is hunger. Even if hungry students motivate themselves to engage in the learning process, they face fundamental physiological barriers preventing them from active participation in the learning process. As a result, the frequency of hunger is expected to be associated with lower levels of learning and academic achievement.”
This is where libraries play a critical role — not only as centers of learning and literacy, but as community anchors that provide access to free educational resources, safe spaces, and programs that help children and families overcome the obstacles created by hunger. Through Gather 2 Grow, Marion Area District Library is stepping into this role in a powerful way.
“We’re at the heart of this community,” said Sarah. “Our location makes it easy for kids to stop by after school, whether to grab a snack or just have a safe place to be. Even those who don’t borrow books can come in and grab food or a snack. In that way, the library is a support system.”
Strengthening lives of children and parents alike
On a typical distribution day, the library welcomes six to eight families, serving 10 to 15 meals — and sometimes just as many children arriving on their own. Everyone is greeted at the door with warm smiles and genuine care. To the left of the front desk sits a large box filled with food, accompanied by a frequently changing menu. The offerings range from corn chips, salsa cups, and bean dip to applesauce and juice, with gluten-free options thoughtfully included, ensuring that every visitor’s needs are met. The program’s responsiveness is what makes them effective. Staff pay close attention to what families enjoy — and what they don’t — so the offerings continuously evolve to meet the community’s tastes and needs, which is a key metric of success for them.
The library also keeps a steady stream of visitors coming through its doors thanks to tireless outreach — spreading the word through the Marion community social media page, their website, and through the traditional word of mouth.
Through the Gather 2 Grow program, Marion Area District Library is pursuing a twofold mission: to ensure children are nourished, and to spark their curiosity beyond the plate — encouraging them to linger, explore the library, and discover the joy of books.
“Having the kids come in for the food and then stay is a bonus,” said Sarah. “I was a children’s librarian before becoming director, so I’ve added a lot of graphic novels to our collection. For kids who say they don’t like to read, I’ll hand them a graphic novel and they’re instantly surprised — it catches their eyes.”
To keep the children even more engaged, the library features a vibrant play area boasting a lively animal-themed mural framed in the backdrop, and is adorned with shelves of games, bins of toys, and, of course, books.
Beyond the joy it brings to children, Gather 2 Grow has left an equally meaningful mark on parents. For many, the program eases the heavy burden of wondering how to stretch groceries, giving them peace of mind that their kids will be nourished and cared for in a safe space. Parents who once hesitated to walk through the library doors now find themselves welcomed into a supportive community, where they can connect with staff — even work with them part-time, like Kristine Peterson.
Kristine Peterson, a Marion resident, part-time library staff member, and devoted mother, is also a regular visitor of the Gather 2 Grow program. She often stops by the library four to five times, and even when she’s not working or visiting the site, her children make their own visits — underscoring just how central the program has become to her family’s daily life.
“I’ve got two teenagers, an 11-year-old, and a seven-year-old,” Kristine said. “They all have healthy appetites, and with their metabolisms going, this program has really helped on the grocery bills.”
The program has played so much of a role in her family’s life that she has spread the word to other families, and it has prompted many of them to come in and visit.
“We told a lot of families. I told them because I just knew they needed it,” Kristine said.
Another visitor, Kenda Welch, has expressed a similar sentiment about the Gather 2 Grow Program. Kenda, a retired grandmother of five, comes to the site almost every month to grab items such as canned potatoes, carrots, and plums.
“It has made a huge impact,” Kenda said. “I have all these kids to feed — every other weekend, every other week, and throughout the summer. I don’t qualify for a bridge card or other assistance because of my assets, even though my income is very low. My assets disqualify me from almost everything.”
Furthermore, as noted earlier, the town is considered a food desert, with the nearest grocery store located 25 minutes away. In this context, the Marion Public Library plays a major role in providing much-needed convenience for community members.
The bigger picture
Gather 2 Grow and Marion Area District Library support families — nurturing both stomachs and spirits while deepening the bond between the library and the people it serves.