Summer Food Program to End Friday

A lack of participation has led to the closing of the Summer Food Program as of this Friday.

The program has been offered the past several years as a way to provide a free noon meal to kids during summer break, but the numbers of those taking advantage of the program have steadily declined.

This year, the program was relocated from West Side School to First Presbyterian Church. The move was made since the church is air-conditioned, but the numbers continued to drop. Kathy Nava-Sifuentes, who oversees the program for Unit 40, said just four kids showed up on Tuesday.

Effingham County Public Transit has offered free rides to and from the site in recent years, but Nava-Sifuentes said no one this year has utilized the service.