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Council keeps 'Lunch at the Library' at two days this summer, plans expansion next year
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Summary
The council reached consensus to keep the library's summer meal program at two days this year and asked staff to plan for a possible expansion next year. Library staff said a $12,600 grant and CNUSD-provided meals make the program possible but expanding to five days would require canceling or scaling back 28 summer programs and incur $10,140—$15,140 in direct costs.
The Corona City Council on April 1 directed library staff to keep the "Lunch at the Library" summer program at two days this year and to plan for a possible expansion next year as funding and staffing allow.
Veil Wellington, the library manager, told the council the library received a $12,600 grant and that the meals are provided by Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) at no cost to the library. Wellington said the library originally served about 8,000 lunches in earlier years and that expanding service to five days would force the cancellation or scaling back of roughly 28 Summer at Your Library (SAIL) enrichment programs because of staffing and space constraints. "It gives us a chance to reintegrate our lunch at the library program back to, since we haven't had it for 5 years," Wellington said, urging a phased approach.
Wellington presented three options to the council: keep the program at two days (Option A), keep it at two days and plan for next-year expansion (Option B), or expand to five days this summer and scale back SAIL programming (Option C). Option B was framed as the compromise: it preserves most summer enrichment programs while allowing staff time to apply for additional funds and plan for staffing needs. Wellington estimated direct additional costs of about $10,140 without an enrichment component and about $15,140 if enrichment programming is added.
Council discussion reflected the trade-offs: some members said a child's immediate need for food ought to come first, while others emphasized the value of the library's enrichment offerings. After public comments and council discussion, the council reached consensus for Option B. Council members asked staff to compile and share information about other CNUSD meal sites (the manager confirmed El Cerrito Middle School will provide five-day lunches) and to provide notices and transportation information so families can access other meal sites this summer.
What's next: staff will post confirmed CNUSD meal site information on library social channels and provide flyers at library branches; the council encouraged staff to pursue additional grant funding and to prepare for a possible expansion in fiscal year planning.
