Some chowed down on potato salad and played games, while others sipped on their Go-Gurts before they braved the heat to shoot some hoops.

Those were the scenes Friday during a pair of free summer lunch programs offered in the Panther Valley and Tamaqua areas.Through the programs, free meals are available to kids and teens ages 18 and younger.As he does often, Joseph Swan accompanied several of his brothers and sisters to Christ Redeemer Church at 151 Third St. in Coaldale, one of the free summer meals sites."I come in almost every day with my family," said Joseph, who added that he likes the pretzel bites and potato salad. "I enjoy seeing my friends here; I usually have fun here."Meals are served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through Aug. 19.Church Pastor Marie Terry heaped praise on her helpers, who she said assist her tremendously with the program."I couldn't run it without them," Terry said.The Coaldale site is one of four in the Panther Valley area where free meals are given out. The others are the Summit Hill Heritage Center, 1 W. Hazard St., Summit Hill; St. John's Slovak Lutheran Church, 1 E. Abbott St., Lansford; and the Lansford Townhouses on Route 209.Helper Frederick Ziegenfuss said that between the four sites, about 150-170 children are served.It was much the same over at the South Ward playground on Penn Street in Tamaqua, where the South Ward Playground Association provides a free lunch Monday through Friday from noon to 1 p.m. through Aug. 19.The free summer lunch program is open to children up to and including age 18 at the playground, located between Penn and Race streets, where in addition to the lunch, kids can partake in a variety of summer activities.There, friends Kristen Brinich and Mackenzie Yarnell, both of Tamaqua, stayed in the shade."I like playing with the kids," said Kristen, 9. "And coming to the lunch program with my pappy.""I like playing with the kids, and going on the swings and the basketball court," said Mackenzie, 10.Margaret Schock of Tamaqua said the program more than meets the needs of the children."It keeps the kids interested," Schock said. "The people are wonderful, great with the kids, and you just feel like you're part of the family here."Lee Calkins, coordinator of the program, said the program serves between 65-75 kids per day.Calkins said they are served a variety of foods such as turkey and cheese hoagies, as well as pizza."We're here to help the kids," Calkins said.