Nutritious breakfast and lunch will be offered for children and teens under 18 at two  Cobb County Public Library branches on weekdays in June and July. The program is offered through the local partnership of Cobb County Public Library (CCPL) and Georgia Educational Resources Inc. (GER), and this is its fifth year of operation.

“Cobb library workers welcome this opportunity to have a role in addressing food insecurity that many families face and not have hunger be a barrier to learning and play,” said Terri Tresp, CCPL Division Director Branch Services. “All children attending Happy Helpings meals will be introduced to the exciting range of Summer Reading programs at Cobb libraries throughout the county.”

In this article, you will learn:

1. What the Happy Helpings program is
2. Who is eligible for the program?
3. When and where the meals are offered?
4. To learn more about food insecurity, read this article from The Conversation

What is the Happy Helpings program?

Happy Helpings is Georgia’s Summer Food Service Program.  It is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.

You can read more about the program by following this link.

Who is eligible for the program?

According to the press release distributed by Cobb County Public Library:

Prepared by a local county-inspected commercial kitchen, the meals are free for children ages 18 and younger. Adults 19 years and older who are enrolled in school programs for persons with disabilities will also receive meals. Parents and caregivers must remain with the children during the meals.

When and where are the meals offered?

According to the press release:

The meals will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last at South Cobb Regional Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton 30126, and North Cobb Regional Library, 3535 Old 41 Highway, Kennesaw 30144, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting June 3 and ending July 26. No meals will be served Friday, July 5.

Breakfast will be served 10 am to 10:30 am and lunch from 11:30 am to noon.

About the Cobb County Public Library

According to the Cobb County Public Library website:

Cobb County Public Library is a 15-branch system headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, where its staff members serve a diverse population of over 750,000 people. Cobb is one of Georgia’s fastest-growing counties, and Cobb County Public Library is dedicated to being a resource center in the community by providing equal access to information, materials, and services.

History of Cobb’s library system

The first public library in Cobb County was opened in the home of Sarah Freeman Clarke in Marietta. The first standalone library building, opened on Church Street in 1893 and was named for Clarke.

Libraries were opened in Acworth and Austell in subsequent years, and in 1959, the city of Marietta and several other Cobb County libraries combined to form a countywide system that began the Cobb County Public Library as we know it today.

You can read more about the history of the Cobb County Public Library by following this link.