It provides energy. It helps with the growth of muscle and bone. It aids in the development of cognitive function.

The importance of nutrition and a healthy diet can't be overstated - or taken for granted.

Conestoga Valley Christian Community Services' (CVCCS) Summer Lunch Club seeks to be a reliable and consistent source of food for growing local children. The lunch club is also designed to bridge a calorie gap for students involved in the free and reduced-cost meal program during the school year.

"Good nutrition is important to children's development," said CVCCS' executive director, Jon Barrett. "In America, we don't think hunger can be an issue. But food is huge for cognitive development; it affects everything. Hunger is directly connected to our brains. That's why we want to make sure we're prioritizing it. Food is critical."

This summer, for the first time in conjunction with the faith-based Good News Club, the Summer Lunch Club will be conducted every Wednesday from June 12 to Aug. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at East Lampeter Township's Flory Park, 416 Dohner Drive, Lancaster. The Summer Lunch Club, whose slogan is "Fresh Food and Friendly Faces," also features games, activities and fellowship and is open to people age 18 and under.

The program is free, no sign-ups are required, and each child will be given three meals, which can be taken off-site. Typically, anywhere from 20 to 40 kids and youths attend the enhanced lunches.

"They're Conestoga Valley students, but it's open to anyone in Lancaster County," said Barrett. "It's mostly kids from lower-income homes. It's within walking distance for a lot of kids. We do weekend meals during school, so this is a way to continue that ministry into the summer. It's also a response to (the free and reduced-cost meal program). They're getting their needs met at school, but outside of school is where the issue is. During the summer, they're not getting those needs met."

The hot and cold, easy-to-handle food is prepared and packaged at CVCCS' kitchen and driven to Flory Park. An emphasis is placed on making the food tasty and healthy.

"In the past, we tried to make the food more healthy," said Barrett. "That's addressing the goal, but we also want to make sure the kids are eating it."

Since the lunch program started about eight years ago, CVCCS has always taken a "feeding the body, feeding the soul" approach to its Summer Lunch Club. The new partnership with Good News Club is expected to take that approach to a new level.

"They're going to do the spiritual side and we're going to do the food side," said Barrett of Good News Club. "We're focusing on the holistic side. We believe people are more than mouths to feed. There's a lot of interaction. We're also building relationships with kids."

Of course, it takes volunteers for the Summer Lunch Club to do what it does, between 15 and 20 to be exact.

"There's a lot of excitement and some kids are just hanging out," said Barrett. "It can help with loneliness. Kids have so much to offer and they're worth our time. We try to offer them positive relationships. It just goes such a long way."

For additional information about Conestoga Valley Christian Community Services, go to http://www.cvccs.org.