CAPC offers meals to kids
After overestimating use of the federally funded Summer Food Service Program meals last year, Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County Inc. officials don't know what to expect in this season's program.
"We're going in blind this year," said Mary J. Mathewson, the center's Family Center project manager. "We did expect more (last year) because all of the prices were going up last year."
As the cost of fuel, food, utility and/or rent payments had increased throughout the summer in 2008, the 518 Davidson St. agency thought more Jefferson County families would send their children to receive free meals.
That didn't happen. In 40 days last year, the program served 1,809 breakfasts, 11,023 lunches and 3,812 snacks. That was a 13 percent drop from the 19,164 meals/snacks served during the 2007 program.
The 2007 average number of meals served per day for children ages 18 and younger was 600. In 2008, the agency projected an average of 650, but it served only an average of 416 per day.
While CAPC is waiting to hear back from a few meal sites if they will participate, Mrs. Mathewson said, she cannot give a projected average daily number for this year's meals.
"With the economy, we really hope it's going to increase," she said. "We just always hope to have more kids and feed more kids. We try to get other things out to the sites to bring kids in, mostly in the Watertown area."
Mrs. Mathewson said she works with local police and fire agencies to do small workshops during some lunch times in the Watertown area. Satellite sites throughout the county are on their own to come up with programs and activities for the children to do while eating breakfast, lunch or a snack.
Breakfasts typically include cereal, milk, fruit and juice. A typical lunch consists of a sandwich, fruit, vegetable and milk. A snack could be an apple or pepperoni, cheese and crackers.
This year, she said, there will be no kickoff celebration for the Summer Food Service Program, or big bash at the end of the program.
Including the CAPC site, 11 Jefferson County sites will participate in the program: East Hills on Eastern Boulevard; Maywood Terrace, 239 Maywood; Fort Drum Youth Center, Chapel Drive; Salvation Army, 723 State St.; Theresa Recreation Program, 400 Mill St.; Philadelphia Recreation at the American Legion, 58 Main St., and Evans Mills Recreation Program, 11 Schell Ave.
Other sites include the Carthage Recreation Program, 1 Park Drive; Carthage YMCA, 250 State St., and LeRay Heights, Route 11.
Most of the programs run from the last week in June until mid-to-late August. For more information, contact CAPC's Family Center by calling 782-4900.
