Program Offers Free Meals For Area Youths
Hands Across the Street is gearing up for its eighth summer of serving free lunches to children and teenagers. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) began on June 4 for the Columbia locations and will kick off at the Wrightsville site on Monday, June 10. The free SFSP will continue every weekday through Friday, Aug. 16, with the exception of Thursday, July 4. Anyone age 18 and under is invited to enjoy a meal free of charge.
Organizers emphasize that there are no income or eligibility requirements for the summer lunch program. Anyone age 18 and under may show up to receive a meal - no questions asked.
Meals will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations in Columbia: Columbia Presbyterian Church, 360 Locust St.; Mount Zion AME Church, 222 S. Fifth St.; St. John's Lutheran Church, 23 S. Sixth St.; Red Rose VFW Post 2435, 401 Manor St.; Wagon Werks, 920 Plane St.; and Columbia Junior-Senior High School, 901 Ironville Pike. In Wrightsville, lunches will also be available at Wrightsville Presbyterian Church, 205 N. Second St.
The program aims to fill the gap created when the school year ends, when local children who received free or reduced-cost lunches during the academic year may not have access to a nutritious meal during the day. According to Lori Flick of Hands Across the Street, the Columbia Borough School District is in the 90th percentile for free and reduced-cost lunches. For this reason, Hands Across the Street also offers free meals to parents and caregivers who accompany children to the summer lunch program.
"By offering free lunches to the parents, we not only fill a nutritional need (but) we are helping to develop healthy family interactions (and camaraderie) throughout the community with parents connecting to other parents and resources in our community," Flick said.
In addition, crafts and games are provided at each of the lunch sites to create a safe and fun environment for children to gather with their friends and family. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Columbia Presbyterian Church site will host Kidz Jam from 1 to 2 p.m. for any child, free of charge. A snack will be served at the conclusion of each Kidz Jam.
Preregistration is not necessary for weekday lunches, but families are encouraged to apply to receive a weekend food bag over the summer through PowerPacks. Applications will be available at all distribution sites upon request. Weekend food bags will be available to pick up on Thursdays for those who have preregistered.
The SFSP is sponsored by Hands Across the Street and funded by the USDA. Individuals interested in donating products, finances, or time may contact Flick at 717-797-9266. To learn more, readers may visit http://www.columbiahas.org.
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