The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” has long been a popular sentiment in Patagonia. Every summer in recent years, the Library, the Patagonia Creative Arts Association (PCAA), Patagonia Summer School, the swimming pool, local churches and the Patagonia Youth Center have offered opportunities and safe places along with food for kids. 

This year is different. The ramifications of the Santa Cruz County (SCC) Treasurer Department’s loss of funds have hit Patagonia schools hard. Former SCC Treasurer Liz Gutfahr pleaded guilty last August in federal court to stealing nearly $40 million from the county, but the schools have only recovered a small portion of their lost funds.

When asked about suspending the summer school this year, Patagonia Superintendent Kenny Hayes tied the local situation to that loss. “It has more to do with the County Treasurer’s fraud situation and the unknown financial loss that we will have to incur,” he explained. While he is optimistic about being able to offer the summer school program again, it is gone for 2025.

With the absence of summer school, kids would be without any lunch program. 

Cassina Farley, director of PCAA, saw a need and a solution. 

“Some families here are faced with food insecurity, probably more than we realize,” Farley said. “They rely on school lunches and food distribution to fill in the gaps. It costs all families more in the summer, given that for a lot of families that middle meal of the day is at school.”

Anna Coleman, director of the Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center, has already been busy putting options in place for older students. She explained, “This will be our third summer working with the Nogales School District and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona in bringing free meals from Nogales to the youth center Monday through Friday. My daughter, Caitlyn, and I add the donated food to our regular dinners and snacks for the youth.” 

Farley’s solution is to have PCAA along with other local community organizations and volunteers fill the lunch gap for the younger kids. 

“Our summer program runs four days a week during June. Those enrolled in art camp will automatically get a lunch. Any other kids can come from 12-1. Siblings or whoever can just pop in and get a bag lunch and have a place to hang out. If moms with babies want to come in for lunch and hang out for a while, they can have a lunch too.” 

Farley admits she has grand ideas, but the details can be trickier. Cue the coffee ladies, an informal group of women who gather at the Senior Center for coffee and conversation. 

As Farley discussed her ideas with Jan Herron, Herron asked if Farley would share her thoughts with the coffee ladies, so Farley did. They loved the concept, volunteered to make sandwiches, fill bags and work on logistics. Farley started fundraising and quickly had $2,500 from local nonprofits and agencies. 

Through the coffee ladies, word of the plan spread to the Patagonia Community United Methodist Church. The church was already planning to provide lunch for Vacation Bible School participants, so they joined in. Once the PCAA art camp is done in June, they will shift lunches over to the church and all kids can pick up lunches in Thurber Hall starting July 7.

Cynie Murray, the secretary of the church, is enthused about continuing where PCAA leaves off, even though they are still working on details. “We’ll make this work,” she stressed. “We could make Thurber Hall open even after Vacation Bible School ends and school starts.” 

Planners are still exploring a variety of ways to bridge the gap from the end of Bible School until the beginning of regular school. A full schedule should be available in June. 

So what happens in the afternoons? Farley says, “In June most kids leave the Arts Center and walk to the pool and then they spend the rest of the day at the pool. There are kids that don’t come here—like the older ones that are in middle school, who only go to the pool or library. Where and what are they eating? So, we were thinking that whatever we have left here, we will take up to the pool. Volunteers in the coffee ladies group will be there to give out snacks like granola bars to kids who want them.”

Coleman thinks the plan is sound. “I love the fact that the Art Center and Methodist Church will provide lunches and the Youth Center will have dinners,” she said. “What a wonderful community we live and work in! Our youth are embraced in love and support all year around.” 

Through this collaboration, neighbors and friends are stepping up to help kids and their families. Farley thinks this is important, especially now. She says, “Many people feel helpless right now. It is chaos nationally and there is not much you feel like you can do to make a difference or make a change, but this little lunch program gives us a way to control a little bit to help our community and to help families. This isn’t going to fix starvation or poverty, but what it does is it helps families stretch out their money a little longer and it helps moms not have to make a couple less meals. They could use a little extra help. If we can help people through this time by making a lunch or providing a smile, giving the ladies of the coffee group a way of giving back, that’s a good thing.” 

After all, it is all about being a community according to Farley. “I invite them and whoever else to kind of hang and get to know the kids of the community. There are a lot of great kids and great families in this town. Making sure they are getting some kind of nutrition and that they are getting something for lunch is only part of the plan.” 

Murray echoed the idea of making lunch a place to hang out, “We have Thurber Hall for people to gather, pick up lunches or eat them there.”

As someone who ran a summer lunch program for several years at the Patagonia Library, retired librarian Abbie Zeltzer is helping organizers and thinks that the “value-added product” is the interaction between youngsters and seniors. 

Marynell Spicer, who is also working with logistics says, “We all need to be a little more connected.”

Farley has the price tag. She says, “I figure we need about $5,000 and that covers everything from food to packaging, you name it. If any food is leftover, we can give it to the schools. We have $4,000 [already].” 

If anyone wants to help out, there are several ways to contribute. You can sign up to make sandwiches and fill lunch bags. You can donate food items from a list that is available. You can donate funds to help the program. Contact the PCAA at patagoniacreativearts.org for more specifics.