From staff reports
Child Development Centers will offer its Lunch Time free lunch program for children and teenagers at several local schools, churches, playgrounds and other sites during the summer months.
Lunches will be served on weekdays starting Tuesday, June 7, and continuing through Friday, Aug. 25, at the following locations:
Cooperstown – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Community Church of God.
Franklin – noon to 2 p.m. at Atlantic Avenue Playground, Central Elementary School, Evergreen Arbors.
Oil City – 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at Free Methodist Church of Oil City (both the Wilson Avenue and Willow Street locations), noon to 2 p.m. at the Land of Laughter Playground on Harriott Avenue.
Lunch Time is intended to make a nutritious midday meal available to students when school is not in session, to help families whose children lose their school-based free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch benefits during summer, and to extend nutrition to children who aren’t yet old enough to attend school, according to CDC Chief Executive Officer Rina Irwin.
The summer program has no income guidelines, so any family with children up to age 18 may participate, including those who have infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
Families do not have to register to obtain meals. Children may report to any Lunch Time site on any day they wish to eat a free lunch. Adults will be charged $3 per meal.
Families can learn more by contacting Lunch Time director Holland Culver at CDC at (814) 670-0838 or hculver@cdcenters.org.
CDC served more than 20,000 lunches last year (320 per day).
Funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program and CDC covers the costs of the Lunch Time program.
