Officials with the Summer Food Service Program say they've seen an increase in the number of low income school aged children in need of lunch-time meals this year, compared to last year. Sara McAleavy, coordinator of the Food and Nutrition Program, at The Frederick Community Action Agency, said last year, during the summer, when Frederick County Public Schools were closed, they served 18,000 children. "The summer before it was over 14,000. This year we're probably going to be close to 20,000 meals. It was also an extra week this summer because school let out early because there were no snow days," said McAleavy.

"We're not even serving half as many families as we should be because there are large pockets of poverty in areas of Thurmont and Brunswick. It's just very hard for us. We just have a soup kitchen. I could go and just do peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but I prefer doing hot nutritional meals," continued McAleavy.

Schools are closed for the summer and some children in Frederick would literally go without a lunchtime meal if not for the Summer Food Service Program.

This summer FCAA staff will be serving meals at nine (9) sites (including the Boys and Girls Club of Frederick and Pal). "We also branched out of Frederick City, and into Discovery in Walkersville."

Through August 24th, lunchtime meals will be served, Monday through Friday at the locations listed below:

Hill Street Park Pavilion on Hill Street - 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Stonegate Park Pavilion on Andover Lane - 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

College Estates Park on Taney Avenue - 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.

PAL Center on Sagner Avenue - 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.

Carver Community Center on Lee Street - 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.

Carrollton Park on Center Street and Prospect - 12:00 - 12:45 p.m.

Discovery (Walkersville) HOA Building - 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (ends August 17th)

Amber Meadows Park on Amber Drive 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.