As the school year comes to an end, so will free school lunch programs, but there are other meal opportunities for kids in the area. The Boys and Girls Club Director of Program Operations Joe Grucza said they're just one of the many organizations that helps.   

"There is absolutely no cost for the meals to the kids that come in. We are providing the meals through the Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit, and they are federally funded. So, we're very fortunate for the support in the meals that they are able to provide for us, and that in turn we're able to push out to needy kids and at-risk youth in our community," Grucza said.  

The program runs for ten weeks from June 12 to August 11, and is open to any kid who needs it.   

“Breakfast is served from 9-9:30 and lunches from 12:30 to 1:00p.m. Anybody can come in and you don't have to be a club member, just somebody in the community that wants or needs a meal that particular day,” Grucza  

Grucza said he's seen the program grow in recent years, and the goal is to provide meals all year round for kids whose families can't afford the high expense of food.    

“We found through the years that kids just really aren't getting meals. They were always hungry, looking for snacks. So we find that that's a huge need for the kids in our community, and especially now” Grucza said. 

The Boys and Girls Club has recently finished their after-school dinner program and will pick that back up in September. 

“We primarily serve kids in poverty and there's a lot of those kids at fault fall into those guidelines in our community. So, we prioritized that. And because of that, we make sure that we provide these meals to kids on a daily basis and not only during the summer, but for the entire school year,” Grucza said.