Another Summer, Another 1 Million Meals Served By Philadelphia Archdiocese
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Archdiocese of Philadelphia today celebrated serving its one-millionth free meal of the summer to a needy child.
The millionth meal was a boxed lunch marked with a star and presented to Barron Johnson, a seven-year-old day camper at Pinn Memorial Baptist Church in West Philadelphia.
The Archdiocese Nutritional Development Service has been feeding needy kids for more than 30 years -- lunch, and a choice of breakfast or a snack.
Assistant director Ann Ayella says hitting the million-meal mark is not that uncommon.
"Usually we run the program for about ten weeks, and we usually hit it like at about the ninth week, so I think we're pretty close (to normal) because next Friday, the 26th, is actually our last day," she said. "So I think we're pretty close to where it's been the last couple of years."
The NDS Summer Meals Program is federally funded and nondenominational. Most Philadelphia neighborhoods qualify for the program.
Reported by Paul Kurtz, KYW Newsradio 1060
