Lunch Buddies Mentoring

UWNEMN's Lunch Buddies mentoring program matches elementary school children with caring adult mentors to share one lunch break/week at school.

The pandemic has exacerbated adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and is itself widely considered its own ACE. This is concerning as four or more ACEs are indicators for serious mental and physical health issues into adulthood. Recent local research indicates the number of children facing four or more ACEs has jumped to nearly 25% due to the pandemic. Research also indicates that early intervention and healthy relationships with adults are key to decreasing these risks, and that's exactly what Lunch Buddies does!