The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula has launched its Summer Meals program with locations in Port Angeles and Sequim from June 16 through Aug. 27 on weekdays, except on the Fourth of July.
Made largely available through a Department of Agriculture grant, the Boys & Girls Clubs offer sack lunches for free to children ages 1-18 at 11 locations between the two cities.
Chief Development Officer Janet Gray said the USDA reimburses the clubs a certain amount per meal, up to two meals per day. She said afternoon snacks and dinners for teens after 6 p.m. are paid for by the clubs as they are open 10 hours on weekdays during the summer.
Last summer, the Port Angeles club served 28,806 meals and 13,707 snacks, Gray said, and the Sequim club provided 40,538 meals and 24,206 snacks.
The following includes locations and times free meals are served, with service dates and times subject to change.
Port Angeles
Weekdays, except July 4.
• Port Angeles Boys & Girls Club, 2301 S. Francis St.; breakfast, 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; lunch, noon to 1 p.m.
• Dream Playground (Erickson Park), 298-300 S. Race St.; noon to 12:30 p.m.
• Evergreen Family Village, 2203 W. 18th St.; lunch 1:25 to 1:55 p.m.
• Jefferson Elementary, 218 E. 12th St.; lunch 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
• Shane Park, 613 G. St.; lunch 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Organizers said that, due to a shift in operations and scheduling, volunteers are not needed for the food program.
Sequim
Weekdays except July 4 and as noted.
• Boys & Girls Club, 400 W. Fir St.; breakfast, 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.; lunch, noon to 1 p.m.
• Carrie Blake Community Park, 202 N. Blake Ave.; noon to 12:30 p.m.
• Elk Creek Apartments, 90 S. Rhodefer Road; 12:40 p.m. to 1 p.m.
• Greywolf Elementary, 171 Carlsborg Road; 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Mountain View Court Apartments, 303 S. Fifth St.; 1:10 p.m. to 1:25 p.m.
• SeaBreeze Apartments, 525 McCurdy Road; 1:35 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Additional options
• Sequim families and adults can access Sequim Food Bank, 144. W. Alder St., from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and from 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, call the Sequim Food Bank at 360-683-1205 or visit sequimfoodbank.org.
• Port Angeles families and adults can access the Port Angeles Food Bank, 632 N. Oakridge Drive, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call 360-452-8568 or visit portangelesfood bank.org.
For more about the clubs and Summer Meals Program, call 360-683-8095 or visit bgc-op.org.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. He can be reached by email at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.