SML Good Neighbors, Inc. Information

SML Good Neighbors, Inc. was started by members of four churches with deep concerns about children in our rural Virginia community. In Virginia, as in the rest of our nation, the rate of poverty in rural communities is over 13.5%. In the six elementary schools in our immediate area over 600 children are eligible for the free or reduced-price school lunch program. Because the schools do not provide lunches during the summer, they are left with inadequate nutrition. These are the children we serve. We provide meals to summer school students, primarily those who are eligible for free or reduced-cost meals during the school year. We provide a summer day camp for children who may need support in any of the following three areas: nutritious meals, reading enrichment, or good neighbor skills and values such as living peacefully with self and others, understanding one's role in the larger world and ways to make a positive difference We provide opportunities for leadership training and vocational exploration for college students through service-learning internships . We organize community resources to address the needs of children.