This summer, children in the Great Afternoons program are taking a trip around the world. From their seats in Reedsport, they’ve visited nearly every continent during a virtual vacation/stealth learning trip.

Keeping children’s minds and imagination sharp during the summer just became a bit easier for the nonprofit program, which received more than $13,000 from a federal stimulus package that supports Oregon Coast Community Action programs in Coos, Curry, and Western Douglas counties through 2012.

Community Action received slightly more than $1 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Other ORCCA programs receiving funds include the South Coast Food Share, Housing and Emergency Services and energy assistance.

Great Afternoons’ program director, Chris Marsh, said its portion will help pay staff members to run the summer school program, without jeopardizing money used for afterschool care. Great Afternoons caters to many low-income children by providing childcare, afterschool programs and summer fun, year-round classes, clubs and activities for ages 3 to 12, and infant care for ages 6 weeks to 3 years old.

“We were really thrilled about receiving that funding because we can keep our afternoon school program running,” Marsh said.

Hallie Winchell, a spokeswoman for Community Action, said the funding will be used to create jobs, expand housing and crisis services, provide outreach and establish additional community facilities for families in need.

“Job creation was a major goal of the ARRA funding,” Winchell said in an e-mail.

Two programs — the Food Share and Housing and Emergency Services — will use their allotments to hire employees to expand services. Winchell said $35,866 will be used to bring on a manager for the Food Share warehouse.

Food Share partners with more than 30 member organizations and provides food for more than 1,500 food boxes and 4,000 meals per month. Housing and Emergency Services provides affordable housing opportunities, stabilization services to help people stay in housing, and support for homeless programs.

The majority of the $1 million-plus funds will go to Community Action’s Energy Assistance program, which received $825,224. That will help people deal with rising energy costs by providing emergency payments, education on saving energy, and weatherization of more than 100 homes a year.

Some funds also will be used to buy equipment for the Myrtle Point Food Hub and for the Women’s Safety and Resource Center, Jane’s House, in North Bend. The organization, which leases property from Community Action for its programs, received $21,600.