The Buckley Youth Center will begin its summer lunch program June 14.

Anyone under 18 years of age will be able to drop by the youth center from noon to 1 p.m. and have a meal free of charge.

“(Lunch) is a need that’s often fulfilled during the school year that isn’t met during the summertime,” Youth Activities Coordinator Ellen Boyd said. “The summer program fills that void. We can make sure kids eat healthy and filling meals.”

This summer will be the second the youth center offers the program. Boyd estimated the center catered to an average of 10 children a day in the program’s inaugural year.

The Youth Center will partner with the Prairie Ridge-based Bread of Life food bank, which will prepare the meals off-site and bring them to the South River Avenue location.

Recreation Services Director Jennifer Bacon is in the process of applying for grant funding through the Enumclaw Regional Healthcare Foundation to pay for more fresh fruits and vegetables in the meals. The youth center and its programs are funded through a combination of city support and grant dollars held and distributed by the state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Buckley Youth Center is located at 251 South River Ave. and can be reached by calling 360-829-6534.