As the school year approaches its conclusion, New York City is set to continue its commitment to child nutrition with the Free Summer Meals Program, providing free meals for children and teens aged 18 and under.
Beginning on Friday, June 27, this program will be available across all five boroughs.
Families will find meal services at various locations, such as select public schools, community pool centers, parks, and libraries.
Importantly, no pre-registration, paperwork, or identification is needed to access these meals.
Children can simply walk up to a participating location to enjoy a nutritious breakfast or lunch without any hassle.
### Meal Availability and Schedule
The Free Summer Meals Program operates Monday through Friday and will run until August 29.
Breakfast is typically served from 8 to 9:15 a.m., followed by lunch from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., although exact times may vary by location.
It’s important to note that there will be no service on Friday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.
### Nutritional Standards and Meal Options
Meals provided through this initiative adhere to the NYC Department of Education’s rigorous nutritional standards based on guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Parents can rest assured that the meals do not contain artificial additives like colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Participants can expect a diverse menu featuring fresh fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and salads, as well as halal and kosher options available at select sites.
The program also maintains a meatless menu on Mondays and offers vegan options on Fridays, catering to a variety of dietary preferences.
Breakfast items include cinnamon burst pancakes, turkey sausage, seasonal fresh fruit, yogurt, whole grain croissants, mini blueberry waffles, assorted muffins, and bagels.
For those opting for grab-and-go meals, choices include cold cereals, fruit, and milk varieties, including 1% low-fat milk, fat-free milk, and chocolate milk.
The lunch menu features a selection of delicious options, such as classic cheese pizza, roasted chicken, manicotti, baked sweet potato fries, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and turkey burgers, among other items.
Grab-and-go lunches may include peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hummus, as well as hot or cold cheese sandwiches.
### Finding Meal Locations
To help families locate the summer meal sites, several resources are available.
One of the easiest ways to find meals is through the ‘Find A Location’ search tool accessible at schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/summer-meals.
Individuals can also inquire about halal meal locations or obtain assistance by calling 311.
### Staten Island Meal Locations
For those living in Staten Island, here is a current list of specific meal locations as of Wednesday, June 18:
– CSI High School for International Studies, New Springville — 100 Essex Drive
– Curtis High School, St. George — 105 Hamilton Ave.
– Bernstein Intermediate School (I.S. 7), Huguenot — 1270 Huguenot Ave.
– Prall Intermediate School (I.S. 27), West Brighton — 11 Clove Lake Place
– Totten Intermediate School (I.S. 34), Tottenville — 528 Academy Ave.
– Dreyfus Intermediate School (I.S. 49), Stapleton — 101 Warren St.
– Markham Intermediate School (I.S. 51), Graniteville — 80 Willowbrook Rd.
– Egbert Intermediate School (I.S. 2), Midland Beach — 333 Midland Ave.
– PS 18, West New Brighton — 221 Broadway
– PS 23, Richmond — 30 Natick St.
– PS 56, Rossville — 250 Kramer Ave.
– PS/I.S. 48, Concord — 1050 Targee St.
– The Michael J. Petrides School, Sunnyside — 715 Ocean Terrace
– The Waverly Academy of Empowered Learners, Stapleton — 45 Waverly Place
In addition, public pool locations will also be serving meals this summer and are open on weekends, with lunch hours varying.
Locations include:
– Faber Pool, Elm Park — Richmond Terrace and Faber Street
– Lyons Pool, Tompkinsville — Pier 6 and Victory Boulevard
– West Brighton Pool, West Brighton — Henderson Avenue, between Broadway and Chappel Street (lunch only from 1 to 4 p.m.)
– Tottenville Pool, Tottenville — Hylan Boulevard and Joline Avenue.
This summer, New York City remains dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to nutritious meals through its summer meal program.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to take advantage of this valuable service to support their children’s health and well-being during the summer months.
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