Boston Public Schools announces free summer meals for Boston youth

BOSTON – Boston Public Schools (BPS) announces the start of the 2009 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).  Now in its 15th year, the summer meals program will provide free daily meals for children ages 18 and under at approximately 162 sites across the city. The program starts on June 29 and runs through September 4.

Breakfast and lunch will be available at locations including YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, community centers, church organizations, day camps, and schools. While some of these summer campsites require pre-registration and have a fee, meals are free for all who come and do not require identification or registration.

“The SFSP sites are an easy, reliable, safe source of free meals for children,” said Helen Mont-Ferguson, Director of Boston Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services Department. “The Summer Food Service Program is not being utilized to its fullest extent, and we do not want a single child to go hungry this summer. We encourage more families to take advantage of this no-cost option to provide their children with healthy meals while school is out.”

A federally funded program administered by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and sponsored by Boston Public Schools, the Summer Food Service Program provides communities with a reliable – and fun – way to ensure that children continue to eat well even when school is out. To find a meals site near you, please call1-800-645-8333 or by visit www.meals4kids.org.