On July 5, Samantha Banuet manned a new booth at the Bonners Ferry Farmers Market, to kickstart distribution for the free summer lunches program, Lil’ Badger Lunch Bags. 

Just a month ago, the idea for the program came up. Upon contacting Liz Bigsby-Sanborn, of the Community Action Partnership food bank, and Flora Wolf, the head cook for the Boundary County School District, Banuet said she discovered the previous free lunches program had been discontinued. 

The Lil’ Badger Lunch Bags program aims to distribute lunches to hundreds of families across Boundary County that normally have their children’s lunches provided by the school district throughout the school year.  

Banuet said she hopes to draw on experience and existing community partnerships from last year’s Community Giving Days, which her family organized in partnership with Community Action. 

Food donations drop locations can be found all around Bonners Ferry at Baked & Lavish, Chapa Chicken Ranch, Froyo Mama, Mountain Springs Church and Misty Mountain Pizza. Super 1 Foods, St. Ann's Catholic Church Men's Group, Mugsy's Tavern and a few anonymous direct donors have all helped with fundraising so Banuet can purchase necessary food items for the program, as well. 

“We want to thank all these individuals and organizations immensely; without them we could not do this,” Banuet said. 

Distribution will take place until the last Saturday of August. It will occur from Banuet’s Market Manager booth at the Farmer's Market only, and there will be extra Lil’ Badgers Lunch Bags volunteers to help with distributions.