BELFAST — The Game Loft is participating in the Summer Food Services Program (SFSP) managed by the Maine Department of Education.

Free lunches for all Waldo County youth will be available from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday each week at The Game Loft’s 78A Main Street location in Belfast, as well as healthy snacks later in the afternoon between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Free bagged lunches for Game Loft program participants will also be made available from 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. every Wednesday at Mount View School in Thorndike through RSU#3’s school food services.

The Game Loft provides SFSP food services as part of its Positive Youth Development programming for all youth aged six to 18 without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion or creed, age or disability.

The Game Loft’s Founding co-Director Patricia Estabrook noted that strict federal USDA standards are set for nutritional balance in each meal or snack served in connection with the summer meal reimbursement program. She credited the financial support from federally funded, state-managed reimbursement programs with making the margin of difference that allowed the Loft to whole-heartedly commit to provide healthy food for kids.

“As a result of enrolling in these food programs a little over a year ago, the Game Loft has greatly increased its purchasing power for putting fresh fruit and vegetables on lunch and snack tables daily,” Estabrook said. “We’ve also made the switch from serving primarily herbal tea and artificially sweetened juice to now provide our kids with 1 percent milk and 100 percent juice for every meal.”

Estabrook said, “Obviously, we’ve opted to increase our food costs dramatically, but we feel the need to encourage the best nutrition possible in all of the activities we sponsor. Helping us reach that goal are the SFSP Program, the state’s school term Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Good Shepherd Food Bank, the Belfast Co-op, Delvino’s Restaurant, True North Farm and the Loft’s many tireless volunteers and individual donors. It takes a lot to feed 35-60 hungry kids per day but we are up.

To volunteer time or contribute food, please call The Game Loft at 338-6447.