Wednesday’ s story time is over and Destiny Roslan is enjoying a delicious-looking apple as she is about to leave the Parma-Powers library branch. She follows her mom, Jessica. Her older brother, Brendon, walks beside her. Destiny steps to the side and makes a half twirl.
She decided to wear a princess dress today, said Roslan, referring to Destiny’s long, sparkly, blue ankle-length dress.
Destiny didn’t get her apple from a fairly tale queen. The fruit was included with a boxed lunch served as part of the free Summer Lunch for Kids program run by Cuyahoga County Public Library(CCPL).
Lunch is offered Monday through Friday, noon – 1 p.m. until Aug. 9. The library partners with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to provide the meals.
Making lunch count
For Roslan, lunch at the library is a timesaver for her and a treat for her daughter.
“We do story time every Wednesday,” Roslan said. “With lunch at the library, I don’t have to rush home to feed Destiny. And she can spend more time with friends.”
Nanette Penny, branch service assistant for the Children’s Department, said they usually serve 10 to 15 children a day.
“Parents have a lot of different reasons for using the program. For some, it is a convenience,” Penny said. “We also have parents who rely on it. It is definitely needed throughout the community.”
From June through August, students can have limited or no access to school breakfast and lunch programs. CCPL works to fill in the gaps, offering free lunches at 11 of their branches.
Penny said kids 18 and younger can also pick out a free book, courtesy of Cleveland’s Kids’ Book Bank. And they can play the Summer Reading Game to build their reading skills and win prizes.
“We’re serving not only their stomachs but their brains”, Penny said.
Summer Lunch is part of CCPL’s Summer Fun For Everyone. To learn more about the program, click here.
To learn about other meal programs being offered this summer, go here.
