“Little” breakfasts in Tremont on Main | News, sports, jobs

TR PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM Heart of Iowa Big Brothers Big Sisters brought “little ones” to Tremont on Main for breakfast Monday morning. An adult sat at each children’s table. Alayna Minjarez, Alexis Rurick, Mia Catron, Aaleaha Catron, Nevea Catron, Elyza Ceren and Allie Catron enjoyed plates of pancakes.

The faces of dozens of children were smiling as they sat at the tables at Tremont on Main on Monday and ate their breakfast.

The children were all clients of Heart of Iowa Big Brothers Big Sisters. Lynne Carroll, executive director of Heart of Iowa, said they take the “little ones” out to dinner every year to get them used to sit-down restaurants.

“They learn how to order at a restaurant, how to use their voice, how to use their manners and how to converse at the table,” she said. “When children eat out, it is often fast food. This is a good experience for them.”

There was also an adult sitting at each “little” table. Carroll said they have measures such as checking the menu and deciding what to order before the waiter arrives, saying “thank you” when taking orders and bringing drinks and food to the table, as well as basic etiquette such as manners discussed with a napkin.

The adults also had conversation starters in case the children couldn’t think of anything to talk about. Suggested conversations included what talent the children would like to have and why, which person they admire, and what they would like to know about other people sitting at the table.

“It’s about how you behave in a public setting,” Carroll said. “It’s about helping children learn, experience new things and give them skills they can use later.”

Since there was no school in the Marshalltown Community School District on Monday, she said it was a good day for food.

“Many of our children are used to eating breakfast and lunch at school, so this is an opportunity to make sure they are fed while also interacting positively with others,” Carroll said.

The meal was made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Marshall County. Director Julie Hitchins said the foundation’s focus for this year’s grants is food insecurity.

“Feeding children when there is no school is definitely necessary,” she said. “In addition to learning how to order in a restaurant, learning etiquette and all those skills is very important. The board agreed and awarded this proposal.”

For anyone who would like to donate to the Heart of Iowa during the holidays, Carroll said they could always use hats and gloves for the children.

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 extension 210 or

[email protected].