PEABODY — A new program at the Peabody Institute Library will provide a free lunch for kids in Peabody this summer.
Beginning Monday, children 18 and under will be able to enjoy lunch in the basement of the library's main branch on Main Street. The meal will be complemented by a variety of activities, from puzzles and board games to music lessons, organized and supervised by community volunteers.
The "Library Luncheons" program was the idea of Melissa Rauseo. The young-adult librarian noticed that the kids who filled the library during the summer, many of whom live downtown, were missing the midday meal that they could count on during the school year. She read about a lunch program at a library in California and hoped the same could be done in Peabody.
Library Director Martha Holden brought the proposal to Mayor Michael Bonfanti, and he offered his full support.
The library is teaming with the Council on Aging and the Healthy Peabody Collaborative, a community action group formed to reduce underage drinking in the city, to run the program. The effort has been bolstered by $8,000 in grant funding from Project Bread and $1,000 from the Eos Foundation.
A portion of the money has been used to purchase a refrigerator and new tables. The meals themselves will be provided by the Council on Aging. Federal funding, funneled through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, will pay for them, said Sara Grinnell, the collaborative's executive director.
The program will run Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. until Aug. 6. No registration or identification is required for kids to participate. The library only requests that any child under the age of 8 be accompanied by a responsible person over the age of 11.
High school students and members of nearby St. Paul's Church have stepped up to help coordinate activities for the kids, Rauseo said.
"We're thrilled to be able to offer this service and grateful for all the community partners for helping," she said.
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