Photo By BARB BARRETT/The Luminary Standing in front of the Montgomery Library are (left to right) Pastor Viking Dietrich from St. John Lutheran Church, Gabe and Jennifer Bender from the Montgomery food bank, and volunteer and manager, Joanna Barbagallo.

MONTGOMERY – Along with the summer reading program at the Montgomery Public Library, Jennifer Bender from the local food bank, “Footprints of Montgomery” and Joanna Barbagallo, have organized a feeding program to coincide with the summer reading program FIZZ, BOOM, READ!

Starting Wednesday, June 18 from noon to 2 p.m. and every Wednesday until July 18th “Footprints of Montgomery” will be providing lunches and a snack for elementary age children. Lunches will also be available on Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. Everything will be set up under the pavilion at Montgomery Park. However, due to the holiday week, there will be no program on Wednesday, July 2 and Friday July 4th. “The feeding program is a pilot program through a grant,” Bender said. She has been operating the food program at the Bower Street Extension location since 2012.

Partnering with the two women will be Pastor Viking Dietrich from the Brick Church in Montgomery who will be transporting the lunches to the park. “This is a true community event,” said the Pastor. Three organizations are working together to make this happen: the food bank, the Lutheran Church and the public library. “It is a pilot program. Let’s hope the interest level will be there,” added Barbagallo who will be managing the entire program. “We started the initiative, and now we want to keep it going,” added Pastor Dietrich.

Lunch will be served at 12:30 after sign-ins at noon under the pavilion and the reading program will begin at 1 p.m. at the same location. Other activities will also be provided at the park such as crafts, lessons taught on life, and new hobbies for kids to explore.

Opening day for the summer reading program will include a photography workshop by Sally Wiener Grotta of the “American Hands: A visual celebration of traditional trades” project with an exhibit on display until June 30. Grotta is creating narrative portraits of traditional artisans such as a blacksmith, a quilting bee, spinner, glass blower, weaver, papermaker and others who keep these cultural trades alive in today’s society. The summer reading program for the Montgomery Library will end on August 6. For more information call 570-547-6212.