Fort Wayne Community Schools will kick off its annual free summer meal program at the Allen County Public Library with a community celebration on the Library Plaza on May 23, 2025.
Allen County Public Library news release:
ACPL Hosts Kick Off Event for FWCS Free Summer Meal Program
Fort Wayne, Indiana (May 20, 2025) – Fort Wayne Community Schools will kick off its annual free summer meal program at the Allen County Public Library with a community celebration on the Library Plaza. The free event is open to the public and will feature free food, giveaways, games, and children’s activities such as chalk art and face painting.
2023 Free Lunch Kick-off for the FWCS Free Summer Meal Program at the Allen County Public Library’s Main Branch in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. Courtesy photo.
What: FWCS Summer Free Lunch Kick Off “Color Our World Delicious” When: Friday, May 23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Where: Allen County Public Library Plaza (900 Library Plaza) Who: Children and their caregivers*
The ACPL acts as a distribution location for free lunches and snacks weekdays June 5 through July 28 at 8 library locations: Main, Georgetown, Hessen Cassel, Little Turtle, Pontiac, Shawnee, Tecumseh, and Waynedale. Times and locations can be found https://www.acpl.lib.in.us/readingprograms.
2023 Free Lunch Kick-off for the FWCS Free Summer Meal Program at the Allen County Public Library’s Main Branch in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. Courtesy photo.
The program coincides with the Library’s annual Summer Learning Program “Color Our World” which encourages community members of all ages, but especially youth, to earn prizes by reading and participating in learning activities over the summer. During the summer, the Library’s youth traffic will increase dramatically, making it the perfect location to provide daily snacks and lunch. The Library will also continue its partnership with Blessings in a Backpack to ensure these same children have access to nutritional food over the weekend.
*In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
About the Allen County Public Library
The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) has fostered lifelong learning and discovery in northeast Indiana for more than 135 years. The ACPL consists of fourteen branches throughout Allen County, serving more than one million visitors per year. The ACPL’s collection includes more than 3.9 million items, with a circulation total of 4.6 million items borrowed annually. It also houses The Genealogy Center, the nation’s largest public genealogy research center, and The Rolland Center for Lincoln Research, consisting of more than 30,000 artifacts related to President Abraham Lincoln.
