The Union County YMCA won’t serve meals to disadvantaged children this summer.

For the past 10 years the YMCA has provided meals to children under the federal Summer Feeding Program. CEO Scot Sandor said the program, authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act, was designed to serve areas with a high number of children who receive free or reduced lunches at school. All children in the county were qualified to receive the meals.

The meals were provided by the federal government through the YMCA, which provided them to churches and other organizations that participated in the program. Sandor said that at the peak of the program, the YMCA was delivering as many as 450 meals throughout the county. This year, however, many of the churches and other organizations that previously participated in the program have opted out for various reasons.

With fewer participants, Sandor said it is not financially feasible for the YMCA to provide the meals this year.

“We took a look at it and had it appeared that we would at least break even or come close to doing so we might have been able to continue,” he said. “We determined that we would not break even; that based on current participation numbers it would cost us $3,000-$4,000.”

Sandor said he hopes to get the program restarted next year.

One community that’s feeling the pinch is Carlisle, which has to cancel its Summer Lunch and Activities Program. The program, originally scheduled for June 8-July, would have provided children with two hours of activities Monday-Thursday including lunch, games, painting, coloring and, occasionally, a water slide.

This would have been the program’s third year. Last year, the program served 30 children ages 3-14. Mayor Mary Ferguson Glenn said that while she is looking at the possibility of the town funding the program, Carlisle is facing a tight budget year. If the town can’t find the money on its own she hopes it can find another sponsor.

“It’s going to be a long, hot summer and our children need a place to go,” she said. “This was the only summer program in Carlisle and given the problems we’ve had recently we desperately need it.

“Given the economy and the number of people unemployed, many families are struggling,” she said. “This program would ensure that the children at least got one meal a day.”

Sandor expressed sympathy with Carlisle’s plight.

“That’s a perfect example of a group trying to do something for the children in their community,” he said. “It’s just extremely unfortunate because of the circumstances that we can’t provide those lunches for them.”