St. Luke’s Summer Meals Program Benefits Families in Need
For the seventh consecutive year, the St. Luke’s Summer Meals Program is providing free lunches in Allentown and Quakertown to ensure that every child in need has access to nutritious meals during the summer months.
St. Luke’s Community Health Department launched the Summer Meals program in response to the Network’s Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), which showed that more than half of students in the Allentown and Quakertown Community School districts are eligible for free and reduced meals during the academic year.
“At St. Luke’s University Health Network, we believe that no child should suffer the consequences of hunger,” said Bill Moyer, St. Luke’s West Region President. “Ensuring that every child has the nourishment they need to grow strong and stay healthy is fundamental to our commitment to community health.”
In Allentown, free grab-and-go meals can be picked up at Star Community Health’s Sigal Center on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays beginning at 11:30 a.m. through Aug. 21, 2025. The Summer Meals Program in Allentown is supported by Hatzel & Buehler Inc., formerly known as West Side Hammer Electric, which has been committed to making an impact in the communities it serves since the program’s inception.
In Quakertown, meals are served Monday through Friday, 12 to 2 p.m. (except July 4) at Free Fall Action Park, 670 S. Main St., through Aug. 22, 2025. This location is also providing children with a bag full of non-perishable food each Friday to take home to their families. Students and families are also being supported by the Quakertown Farmers Market, which is supplying fresh, local produce. Penn Community Bank has invested in St. Luke’s Quakertown Summer Meals since the program began.
The contributions from Hatzel & Buehler and Penn Community Bank support a partnership to oversee the program, ensuring that children have access to a wider variety of healthy meal options, nourishment over the weekends, financial literacy education and other engaging activities.
“The Summer Meals Program is a critical investment in the health and future of our children,” said Dennis Pfleiger, President of St. Luke’s Upper Bucks and Quakertown campuses. “By providing consistent access to nutritious meals when school is out, this initiative helps prevent summer hunger, supports child development and ensures that every student returns to the classroom ready to learn and succeed.”
Separately, St. Luke’s is also supporting the Summer Meals Program in the Upper Perkiomen School District provided by The Open Link with weekly CSA (community-supported agriculture) shares throughout the summer.
To identify other food access points in Allentown, Quakertown or other regions, please visit Sluhn.findhelp.com.
This community health news is brought to you in partnership with St. Luke’s University Health Network.
