HAMILTON, Ohio — A Hamilton food truck and a library bookmobile are rolling through city neighborhoods together this summer, delivering free meals and books directly to kids and families.
The Big Blue Food Truck and the Lane Library Bookmobile stop at the same parks every week, Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Children 18 and under eat free. Adults can get a meal for $6.
Lisa Lantry, food service director for Hamilton City Schools, said the program fills a critical gap left by the end of the school year.
"During the school year, we provide breakfast and lunch for our students, and so in the summertime, they miss out on what we can provide for them. The importance of this is to provide them with those healthy meals and make sure that they get that continued nourishment throughout the summer," Lantry said.
The Big Blue Food Truck launched in 2017. Lane Libraries' Bookmobile joined the partnership in 2022. Lantry said she reaches out to the library each year to coordinate stops.
Attendance has grown every year, with organizers now serving around 200 people a day.
While the food truck handles lunch, the Lane Libraries Bookmobile brings books and games for kids and adults. Visitors with a library card can check out materials directly from the bus, just as they would at a branch. Checkouts run about four weeks, with automatic renewals available.
Marie Rossiter, a public services librarian in the children's and bookmobile departments at Lane Libraries, said the summer schedule allows staff to build deeper connections with the families they serve.
"We get a little bit more interaction with them, and we get to build a relationship with them and their families, and that to me is the best part of it," Rossiter said.
Em Talarigo, a public services associate with Lane Libraries, said the bookmobile reaches people who might not otherwise make it to a branch.
WATCH: Hamilton City Schools and Lane Libraries are partnering this summer to bring free meals and book checkouts directly into city neighborhoods
"You're really able to see familiar faces, new faces, all kinds of people, and people (from) all walks of life. We touch those lives," Talarigo said.
Beyond the parks, Hamilton City Schools also provides meals for the Boys and Girls Club on Grand Avenue and the Booker T. Washington Community Center.
Community organizations join the stops throughout the summer as well. The American Legion is scheduled to return July 30 at Booker T. Washington for a flag etiquette program.
As summer winds down, organizers are also hosting old-fashioned grill-outs. The food truck's last day of the season is July 30.
Lantry said the program is open to everyone, not just Hamilton residents.
"I don't care where you're from. If you're a kid and you're hungry, come and eat," Lantry said.
The weekly schedule is:
- Monday: Milliken Woods Park (west side)
- Tuesday: Benninghoffen Park (east side)
- Wednesday: Jim Grim Park (west side)
- Thursday: Booker T. Washington Community Center (east side)
