Volunteers at the Westport Food Pantry serve close to 200 families, but want to extend their reach and will distribute food to families of children enrolled in the free lunch program this Friday, July 31, at Westport Middle High School, 400 Old County Road.

“There’s quite a lot of school families who are suffering from food insecurity, but it can be hard to reach them,” the pantry’s Chris Conway said Monday.

Friday’s distribution is part of the pantry’s collaboration with Summer Eats, a free summertime lunch program for teens and pre-teens run by Westport Community Schools. It runs every weekday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through Friday, August 16, and is open to all teens and pre-teens, with no ID required.

Likewise, there is no pre-registration or ID required to pick up a bag Friday, and families are welcome to come between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. They will receive a bag containing cereal, canned fruit, corn, vegetables and beans, peanut butter, tuna fish, pasta and pasta sauce, macaroni and cheese, a loaf of bread, and a carton of eggs. Fresh produce may also be available.

The non-profit food pantry was established during the pandemic and distributes food every Monday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Westport Grange, 931 Main St. For more information, send an email to westportfoodpantry@gmail.com.