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WILKES-BARRE — For six years now, Dinners for Kids has been working in the Wyoming Valley to feed children in food-insecure families. Now, for the second year, the group is having a benefit to help ensure that it can continue its mission.

The second annual Dinners for Kids Benefit, which was hosted by Misericordia University’s social work program, was held from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at A Touch of Class Catering in Wilkes-Barre.

According to Susan McDonald, chair of the social work program, the benefit is an important fundraiser for the program.

“Last year, we raised $10,000,” McDonald, 64, of Kingston, said. “Our goal is to meet or exceed that this year.”

Guests could get tickets for $25 (or only $20 with a student ID). From there, they were treated to a full meal from A Taste of Class and acoustic music performances, and they also had the opportunity to win items through a basket raffle, door prizes and other give-aways.

McDonald said that Dinners for Kids helps children who might be unable to get regular, nutritional meals at home. The segment of Dinners for Kids run out of Misericordia gets its food from Metz Culinary Management, the company that handles dining services for the university.

“We’re helping to feed kids in Dallas,” McDonald said. “Student volunteers do three deliveries per week, delivering six meals weekly.”

Dinners for Kids was started by David Tevet, owner of Ollie’s Restaurant in Edwardsville.

“We founded Dinners for Kids six years ago, and the idea was to solve childhood hunger,” Tevet, 65, of Kingston, said. “I don’t want kids going to bed hungry.

Tevet’s operation is run out of his restaurant. His cooks prepare the food, with the meals coming averaging a cost of about $2.40 each.

“Our goal is to provide nutritional meals in a microwaveable package, so the kids can make it themselves,” Tevet said. “They have a protein, a vegetable, a potato and some fruit.”

Between Tevet’s operation, which focuses on the Wyoming area, and Misericordia’s, which helps kids in the Back Mountain, Dinners for Kids provides six dinners every week for about 130 children who are referred to the program by social workers (such as those at the children’s schools).

Tevet said that the link between his original Dinners for Kids and the Misericordia offshoot started when he wanted to offer more than just food to the children.

“We contacted the social work department because we wanted to be able offer things like advice to the families of the kids we were providing food for,” Tevet said.

Alicia Lomascolo, 22, of Tunkhannock, is a senior social work major at Misericordia University. She’s been volunteering for Dinners for Kids for three years now, and she says it’s a vitally important program for the area.

“People don’t realize how many kids in our area are affected by hunger,” Lomascolo said. “So many kids rely on breakfast and lunch provided by the schools, so now we’re making sure they get a third meal.”

Misericordia University social worker student Alicia Lomascolo, left, of Tunkhannock, and friend Jay Gantz, of Scranton, look over raffle baskets.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL032717DinnerForKids_1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgMisericordia University social worker student Alicia Lomascolo, left, of Tunkhannock, and friend Jay Gantz, of Scranton, look over raffle baskets. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Bluegrass artist Tom Waskevich, of Wyoming, performs during a set at the fundraiser.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL032717DinnerForKids_2-1.jpg.optimal.jpgBluegrass artist Tom Waskevich, of Wyoming, performs during a set at the fundraiser. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Misericordia University social work students Rene Florek-Odell, left, of Mountain Top, and Chrsitina DeMeo, of Scotrun, set up a raffle basket at the second annual Dinners for Kids Benefit at A Touch of Class in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL032717DinnerForKids_3-1.jpg.optimal.jpgMisericordia University social work students Rene Florek-Odell, left, of Mountain Top, and Chrsitina DeMeo, of Scotrun, set up a raffle basket at the second annual Dinners for Kids Benefit at A Touch of Class in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Misericordia University social work students Rene Florek-Odell, left, of Mountain Top, and Chrsitina DeMeo, of Scotrun, set up a raffle basket at the second annual Dinners for Kids Benefit at A Touch of Class in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL032717DinnerForKids_3-cmyk-1.jpg.optimal.jpgMisericordia University social work students Rene Florek-Odell, left, of Mountain Top, and Chrsitina DeMeo, of Scotrun, set up a raffle basket at the second annual Dinners for Kids Benefit at A Touch of Class in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Misericordia University social worker student Alicia Lomascolo, left, of Tunkhannock, and friend Jay Gantz, of Scranton, look over raffle baskets.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL032717DinnerForKids_1-cmyk-1.jpg.optimal.jpgMisericordia University social worker student Alicia Lomascolo, left, of Tunkhannock, and friend Jay Gantz, of Scranton, look over raffle baskets. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Bluegrass artist Tom Waskevich, of Wyoming, performs during a set at the fundraiser.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_TTL032717DinnerForKids_2-cmyk-1.jpg.optimal.jpgBluegrass artist Tom Waskevich, of Wyoming, performs during a set at the fundraiser. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

By Patrick Kernan

[email protected]

ON THE WEB

For more information on Dinners for Kids or to learn how you can help, visit www.dinnersforkids.com.

Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6119.