The Summer Food Service will serve lunches Monday through Friday from May 30 through July 14, 2017 at sites around Athens-Clarke County. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Department of Early Learning, and locally, the Athens Housing Authority. This is the 27th year that the AHA has organized the program for the community.
Summer Food Service Program lunches are provided at no cost to all children and youth in the community aged three to 18 years. Serving sites for the Summer Food Service Program include day camps, recreation centers, and faith communities across Athens-Clarke County. Lunches are provided to those enrolled in those programs; however, additional lunches are delivered to the site for neighborhood walk-ins. These children and youth must stay at the site to eat lunch. Site directors will ask how frequently those not enrolled in the day camp plan to attend the lunch site so that they may make certain additional meals are delivered.
After overseeing the local program since its inception in 1990, AHA Resident Support Director Geraldine Clarke says she has seen the need for the program increase. During the past three years, the program has served about 48,000 meals each summer.
“Many youth receive the free or reduced lunch during the school year, she said. “Summer often leaves families in a quandary about how to make sure that children have a healthy option at lunchtime. The Summer Food Service Program is a way for families to save on groceries and they know the meals meet nutrition guidelines,” she says. “Our goal is to make sure that no child goes hungry during the summer months.”
The Summer Food Service Program kicks off just as many day camps begin providing activities for children and youth. “Many of the summer day camps such as Leisure Services or the Boys and Girls Club have been with us right from the beginning of the program in Athens,” Clarke says. “The past two years, though, we have included the Oglethorpe County Recreation Department and Library sites because there is no program in the area.”
The serving times for the sites will vary but most will provide lunch between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Call 706-425-5354 to find out the exact serving times at each location.
This year’s sites for the Summer Lunch Program include:
A-CC Regional Library Athens Tutorial Program Athens YMCA
Bethel Church Home First AME Church Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church
The Wiz Academy Timothy Baptist Church YWCO Girls Club
Oglethorpe Library Oglethorpe Recreation Dept. Tabernacle of Deliverance VBS
DESTINED’s Read to Success
All Boys and Girls Club locations –Smilow, H.T. Edwards, Garett Ridge and Barrow County day camps
A-CC Leisure Services locations – East Athens Community Center, Memorial Park, Rocksprings Recreation Center, and Thomas Lay Park Recreation Center day camps
AHA Recreation or Community Centers – Bonnie Lane, Broadacres, Nellie B, Parkview, Tanyard Creek, and Towne View Place
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at:
http//www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250; fax: (202) 690-7442; or email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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