For more than a decade, children have been able to play in Callahan Park and other nearby areas during the summer months with assurance they could receive a nutritious, hot lunch at Bradford Area High School — free of charge.
The same will be true again this summer thanks to Bradford Area School District’s Free Summer Lunch Program which will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays in the high school cafeteria. Meals will be provided to all children through the age of 18 and no registration or identification is necessary. The program is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.
Tiffany Lasher, supervisor at the high school cafeteria, said the program, which will be provided June 10 through Aug. 9, excluding July 4, has been well-received throughout the years since first offered in the summer of 2009.
“Usually the first couple of weeks are fairly slow when the summer camps, band camps and football” are offered, she said. “When summer school kicks in, our numbers do go up.”
Also boosting the number of lunch recipients are children who attend the YMCA summer camp housed at the high school, as well as some daycare groups that visit the school.
Superintendent Katharine Pude said the lunch program was expanded last year to include all four of the district’s buildings.
“We are happy to announce that we will continue to serve lunches all summer long at the high school, and at the other schools during our summer school programs,” Pude said. “Last year, we served close to 5,000 lunches during the summer months to students. The program is well- received and we look forward to continuing it.”
Dana Mollander, food service director for the school district, had stated the high school lunch program typically offers salad and peanut butter and jelly for sandwiches, as well as one hot food option. Fresh fruits and vegetables, along with juice and chocolate or white milk, are also provided. The program is offered across the country by the federal government to ensure all children have access to hot lunches throughout the summer while schools are closed.
Lasher noted other schools in the district will also offer bagged lunches to children during their summer school sessions. Specifically, Floyd C. Fretz Middle School will have summer school classes July 1 to Aug. 1; School Street Elementary School will conduct summer school July 8 to Aug. 1; and George G. Blaisdell Elementary School will host its summer school program July 8 to Aug. 1. The high school will also host summer school classes June 17 to Aug. 8.
Lasher said she and the staff enjoy working in the summer lunch program, which isn’t as fast-paced or as long of a day as found during the regular school year.
“It’s only a couple of hours a day and those of us who do work it enjoy doing it,” she commented. “It’s been the same people doing it as long as I’ve been doing it.”
