On Friday, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer led a borough-wide Day of Action to provide parents and children with detailed information about free meals available this summer through New York City’s Summer Meals Program. Brewer flyered at the Ralph Bunche School (P.S. 125) in Harlem this morning, and about 100 volunteers and staff from her own office, Councilmember Ben Kallos’ office, FoodCorps, and Hunger Free America fanned out to spread the word at Manhattan’s 82 Title One elementary schools.
“Families need to know: free Summer Meals for kids are available all across Manhattan. That’s why we’re spreading the word today, with specific times and locations on flyers available in up to six languages,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “The sooner we can get this information to students and parents, the better. That’s why we’re spreading the word today, and that’s why I hope we can get this information out even earlier next year, so we have more time to spread the word.”
Summer Meals is federally funded and serves free, nutritious meals for kids during the summer at hundreds of public schools, public pools and recreation centers, New York City Housing Authority complexes and other sites.
Summer Meals is federally funded and serves free, nutritious meals for kids during the summer at hundreds of public schools, public pools and recreation centers, New York City Housing Authority complexes and other sites.
Nationally, only one in six low-income children who ate a school lunch during the 2014-2015 school year was reached by one of our country’s summer nutrition programs, according to the Food Research Action Center. This is why Brewer has enthusiastically boosted the program for years with flyering and community outreach efforts. Brewer has also urged city officials to publish detailed information on the Summer Meals program earlier in the school year, before the start of exams and graduations, to make it easier to get detailed information to parents and families.
Brewer’s office produced and printed flyers with specific service times and locations for the Summer Meals program in each Manhattan neighborhood, based on information recently obtained from the Dept. of Education, New York City Housing Authority, and other city agencies. The flyers, which are customized with Summer Meals locations and times in each of Manhattan’s neighborhoods, will be available online in up to six languages per neighborhood: English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, and Haitian Creole.
Brewer sponsors legislation with Councilmember James Vacca (D-Bronx) that would require the Department of Education to publish and disseminate Summer Meals times and locations on or before June 1 every year (Int. 461-2014). Nine additional councilmembers and Public Advocate Letitia James support the bill as cosponsors.
Become a Harlem Insider!
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
