Summer Eats Feeds Kids and Teens During the Summer Months

Summer Eats – the Massachusetts Summer Food Service Program – is kicking off across the Commonwealth, providing free meals to all kids and teens, ages 18 and under. In July 2023, over 2.1 million meals were served across over 1,400 sites statewide through the Summer Eats program.

Throughout the school year, children in Massachusetts rely on free school meals to meet most of their daily nutrition needs. Summer Eats closes the gap when the school year ends, helping to ensure children and teens continue to grow, learn and thrive over school vacation.

Participating meal providers operate and staff meal sites, often in conjunction with activities and educational programming at schools, libraries, local park and recreation areas, and more. This year, summer meal sites are operating a communal model of feeding kids onsite. Grab & Go meals are available in select rural communities. All are welcome. No registration or ID is required. Summer Eats can be accessed in conjunction with Summer EBT, additional funding for groceries while kids are out of school.

For more than 20 years, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and statewide food security nonprofit Project Bread have partnered to support meal providers in offering Summer Eats meals to children in Massachusetts. Throughout the school year, the nonprofit and DESE also partner to expand access to and participation in school meal programs. This year, Project Bread has granted a total of $226,000 to 51 Summer Eats sponsors for their program outreach and capacity-building. During Summer Eats Awareness Week, Project Bread is encouraging community members to help spread the news about this free program statewide.

“Last week a mom of two called Project Bread worried about how she’d feed her kids when school lets out,” says Erin McAleer, Project Bread CEO. “She’s not alone. In the summer, many families are forced to stretch exhausted grocery budgets even further. Summer Eats is such an important program because it helps close that gap. Summer Eats meal providers bring the community together and take some of the pressure off of families’ budgets. These local providers go above and beyond to make healthy meals accessible for all kids and teens. Children should spend their summer playing, growing, and enjoying time with family and friends, not worrying about their next meal.”

For more information about Summer Eats, including meal site locations, visit www.projectbread.org/summer-eats, text FOOD or COMIDA to 304-304, or call 1-800-645-8333 for help in any language.

About Project Bread

Project Bread connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food while advocating for policies that make food more accessible—so that no one goes hungry. Summer Eats is one of the many nutrition programs they support. Any resident of Massachusetts struggling to afford food or worrying they might run out before they have money to buy more can call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline for help in 180+ languages (1-800-645-8333) or send a confidential chat on www.gettingsnap.com for compassionate, personalized assistance. Counselors are available Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is also a dedicated line is available to those who are hearing impaired. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.