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For most students the end of school marks a transition to not having to worry about homework, tests or having to get up early to catch the bus, but for some children the summer vacation marks the end of a consistent source of food offered through their school district's free breakfast and lunch program.
To alleviate the problem, there are sites in the area that are offering meals for children up to 18 years of age.
Loyalsock Township School District and St. Paul Calvary United Methodist Church are offering breakfasts and lunches free of charge to those experiencing food insecurity. Both programs are for children up to 18 years of age and there are no restrictions as to what school district you live in or if you make above a certain income.
The program at Loyalsock, which is offered at both Schick Elementary School, 2800 Four Mile St. and at the cafeteria on the Middle School/High School campus, Loyalsock Drive, is supported by the state's Department of Education Food and Nutrition Services and by the United States Department of Agriculture, according to Beth Hufnagel, the district's food service director.
"It's available for all kids," Hufnagel said.
"You can be visiting your grandparents from out of state and come get a free breakfast and free lunch," she added.
The program at Loyalsock runs Monday through Thursday, June 24 to July 18, with no meals on Friday or on the Fourth of July. They offer both breakfast, from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All meals have to be consumed on site.
Children can come in with their parents or they can come in on their own.
"There will be a wide variety of food options at both breakfast and lunch with a focus on fresh fruits and vegetables. The meal pattern is the same meal pattern that is reflected in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. So you know it's a well balanced variety of offerings focused on nutrition," Hufnagel explained.
Probably the biggest problem Hufnagel and her crew face is figuring out who will show up for food. The district has some in-house programs during the summer and summer camps, where they also supply free meals for the children attending those activities.
"That is a challenge.You know sometimes weather may impact the amount of you know outsiders that come into your program," she said.
"We just plan as best we can for those others that may come in. We never have a lack of food, I'll put it that way," she said.
Some of the district's own food service staff choose to work during the summer to provide the meals. Due to construction in the district this year's program is only four weeks long, where in other years, it's been longer. Hufnagel noted that the return to a program longer in length can be expected in the coming years.
Hufnagel could not stress enough that the program is open to all children.
The church, located at 1427 Memorial Avenue began their program earlier this month and it runs until Aug. 16. Breakfast is from 9-10 a.m. and lunch is from 12 to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Loyalsock's program is just this week.
At St. Paul Calvary has been offering the program through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) since 2017, although they have been offering various programs and activities to area children since the 1970's.
"At this juncture, in the last three years, we've been feeding children by the USDA guidance, a feeding center only. We're no longer having the indoor program, operating that piece of it. We are serving 55 to 65 children a day breakfast and lunch. There is no program for them to stay with us for the afternoon. There's no activities or anything. It's just meals," said Donna Haag, summer program administrator at the church.
"We encourage parents, Grammys, whoever is nurturing those kids for summer, to come along and join the child for lunch," Haag said.
St. Paul Calvary's program is open to children infant to 18 years-of-age and up to 21 years for those with special needs.
Like Loyalsock School District, the church is an open site available to all in the community.
Unlike a food pantry, the open sites serve prepared-from-scratch food, which must be eaten at the site.
"We have a menu each day. It is first come-first served, however the guidelines of the food are set up by the USDA," Haag said.
"There's so much protein, fruit, vegetables and there is also milk at every meal. The serving is laid out for basically a 12 to 14 year-old child's portion. So that's how it's plated and shared per meal per child," she explained.
Haag said that although she writes the menus, she has a team of shoppers who go out to purchase what they need for the meals in addition to receiving food from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. She noted that she buys local fruit and produce and bread products from area markets.
To staff the program, Haag hires school food service workers who are happy to find work during the summer hiatus. A plus is that they are certified in how to handle food safely.
Children coming to the church feeding site do need to register so that any food allergies can be noted.
St. Paul Calvary is not a huge congregation, but they are an example of what can be accomplished when a committed group of people work toward a common goal.
"We can still make a difference and reach our neighborhood and the children in our neighborhood," Haag said.
"I think we have blessed a lot of families and we feel blessed because our goal is to feed kids," she added.
Hufnagel echoed that same goal as she urged people to "please take advantage of this amazing benefit available to kids,"
"We're here to serve and we will be glad to see as many kids as possible bridge that summer food insecurity gap and let us help families," Hufnagel added.