Oct. 19, 2017 – Mayor Pro Tem Paul Barich will help celebrate Lights on Afterschool and kick off the Redlands Afterschool Meals program from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 at the Redlands Community Center.

The National League of Cities is recognizing the City of Redlands by hosting an official Afterschool Meals launch event at the Redlands Community Center. Redlands has been selected by the National League of Cities to participate in the 2016-2017 Cities Combating Hunger through Afterschool and Summer Meal Programs, and recently received the CHAMPS CACFP Afterschool Meal Program Expansion Supplemental Grant for $10,000.  As part of the program the City has partnered with the Redlands Unified School District Nutrition Program to enhance and expand the afterschool meal program for youth.

Local dignitaries and community members and families will have the opportunity to learn more about afterschool meals, celebrate the achievements of afterschool students and draw attention to the need for more afterschool programs to serve the millions of children nationwide who are unsupervised and at risk each weekday afternoon. Speakers at the rally will celebrate the many benefits of afterschool programs, and encourage lawmakers, businesses and others to support afterschool funding.

More children in Redlands are participating in afterschool meal programs as a result of CHAMPS, or Cities Combating Hunger through Afterschool and Summer Meal Programs. Redlands is one of 31 cities across the country currently receiving funding and technical assistance from the National League of Cities and the Food Research & Action Center to ensure low-income children have access to healthy food and enrichment activities after school, on the weekends, and during school holidays.

The CHAMPS CACFP Afterschool Meal grant has also created the opportunity for RUSD child nutrition to provide meals at the Redlands Community Center along with other community partners including the Boys and Girls Club, Think Together, and YMCA.

Free healthy meals will be available after school to all youth at the Community Center from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. No registration is required.

For more information, call (909) 798-7579 or visit the Redlands Community Center at 111 W. Lugonia Ave.

CHAMPS is a project of the National League of Cities (NLC) and the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). Supported by the Walmart Foundation, NLC and FRAC provide grant funding and technical assistance to cities to increase participation in the Afterschool and Summer Meal Programs.