EBS STAFF
Thanks to community support, the Bozeman Library Friends and Foundation has fully funded the return of the Human Resource Development Council’s free summer lunch program for summer 2025. The program provides free lunches from the Bozeman Public Library during the library’s storytimes, learning activities and summer adventures.
Due to rising property values in the library’s neighborhood, it no longer qualified as a federally reimbursable meal site, meaning the library couldn’t host the service last year, an absence that was “felt deeply,” according to a press release from the City of Bozeman.
With the program’s return, HRDC will manage, prepare and distribute the lunches served at the library, with the Bozeman Library Friends and Foundation reimbursing their costs. Lunches are made possible by donations from individuals and local businesses, with major support coming from Intercity Radiology PC, a grant from Bozeman Health and a gift from Yellowstone Orthodontics, according to the release.
“When families come to the library for lunch, they find more than just a meal,” Friends and Foundation Executive Director Janay Johnson stated in the release. “They find enriching activities, books to take home, and a safe, welcoming place where their children can thrive.”
Lunches will be available at the library weekdays from June 16 through Aug. 27 from noon to 1 p.m. at the front plaza, with the exception of June 19, and July 3 and 4. The library’s summer learning programs will run weekdays from June 16 through Aug. 15, offering hands-on STEAM activities, storytimes, art projects and science experiments, free to all local families.
“The library is more than shelves and books—it’s a place of possibility, equity, and connection,” Johnson stated. “We’re proud to bring meals back to the library, and we’re grateful to every donor who made it happen.”
