While most kids enjoy a summer break from school, thousands are missing meals. For some, a school lunch is their primary source of nutrition.

For the second straight summer, the C. Ray and Cynthia M. Kennedy Foundation is helping to bridge that gap.

Partnering with local churches, schools and non-profit groups, the foundation is using a federal grant to help provide nutritious meals to children 18 years and younger.

The program began Monday and will run through Aug. 23.

“You don’t have to sign up,” foundation spokeswoman Tiffany Randolph said. “All you have to do is drop by.”

The Park Church, located off Independence Boulevard, is one of two N.C. sites where the foundation is serving hot meals. The other is Camp Harrison, which is part of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, in Boomer, NC.

Bagged lunches are offered at 27 other locations.

Bishop Claude Alexander Jr., senior pastor at The Park Church, said he welcomes the opportunity to partner with outside organizations.

“We look forward to making a greater impact in the lives of students in the community,” he said.

Randolph said the goal is to encourage healthy eating habits and help combat childhood obesity. On Wednesday, about 100 children were served a meal of popcorn chicken, string beans and pineapple at The Park.

In 2010, nearly 791,000 N.C. children were eligible for meals under the federal Summer Food Service Program, but fewer than 10 percent were served. Randolph said this year, the Kennedy Foundation is stepping up its efforts to get the word out.

“We have a lot of work to do,” she said. “Last year, we fed about 650 lunch meals per day. This year, we hope to double that number because we really want to make an impact.”

Aside from the federal dollars it receives, the foundation, which was started in 2004 by American Product Distributors founder and Chairman C. Ray Kennedy and his wife Cynthia, pays for a cook and other services related to the program, Randolph said.

At The Park, not only are children given meals, they also play games, create artwork and engage in other fun activities.

“It’s not like we are making them eat and then pushing them out,” Randolph said. “There is an outreach piece to this, and that’s where The Park Church comes into play.”

Last year, members of the church volunteered to sponsor some of the families by helping them meet other needs, such as shopping for school clothes and supplies.

“There are many needs that are going to come up as a result of our interactions with parents and things of that sort,” said the Rev. Jacotron Potts, who serves as youth pastor for The Park. “Some of those needs are budgeting, others may involve counseling.”

Potts said it is important to reach out to the youth in the community, to acknowledge them and let them know that someone cares.

“They don’t get a chance to choose the experiences they have in their homes and communities,” he said, “but they do have people in the community that want to help them through whatever issues they may be going through, particularly as it relates to hunger, which is huge in Mecklenburg County when it comes to children.”

IF YOU WANT TO GO:
Location: The Park Church (2500 E. Independence Blvd.)
Days: Monday – Friday (Closed on July 4)
Times: 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m
Cost: FREE

The Park Church is located at 2500 E. Independence Blvd. For more information about other programs offered by the C. Ray & Cynthia M. Kennedy Foundation, visit www.universitychilddevelopment.com or www.kennedyacademic.com.

Click here for more information about the SFSP in North Carolina.

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