NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – The Children’s Resource Center Library in Uptown New Orleans is obviously chock-full of books, but food?

“I think it’s something people didn’t expect for us to provide as a library in general, people don’t think of the library and food. Normally you’re not supposed to eat in the library, but here we are offering lunches,” says Linda Gielec with the Children’s Resource Center Library.

Second Harvest Food Bank is teaming up with the New Orleans Public Library to serve these hot lunches every day, starting at 12:45 at the Children’s Resource Center, from now until August 12th.

“They are healthy lunches. It’s different every day, most of the time they get some form of meat, vegetable, and bread. They also get a juice and a milk with a while grain snack,” says Christopher Miller whose three children benefit from the free lunch program.

The free lunch program has been around since 2011, but this is the first time the Children’s Resource Center is participating.

Second Harvest estimates one in six households in Louisiana is at risk of hunger.

“I’ve grown up seeing a lot of homeless kids, or maybe kids that cannot afford meals at home and I love to see their faces smiling knowing they can actually have a meal to eat,” says Jamesha Ellzey with Second Harvest Food Bank.

According to Second Harvest, grocery budgets are often cut first, and parents go without to ensure their children are fed.

That’s why programs like this one are not only needed but are appreciated, too.

“It’s nice because we come up to the library every day anyway, so it’s cool I don’t have to fix the kids lunch, they enjoy coming here for lunch, it’s a special treat for them,” says Miller.

Click here for a calendar of events taking place at all libraries. This list also shows the libraries participating in the free summer lunch program and the dates and times they are serving lunches.