New Online Maps – and Pantry and Kitchen Sites – Expand Access;

Children Get Meals “Just By Showing Up” Until August 29

In order to make it easier for parents to access the free Summer Meals program for their children, the New York City Coalition Against Hunger has teamed up with the City to make new online maps. The Coalition also worked with the City to provide Summer Meals at fifteen soup kitchens and food pantries for the first time in 2008 in addition to continuing the program at more than 700 pre-existing sites.

Summer is often the hungriest time of year for many low-income children who do not receive the subsidized or free meals they would normally receive at school during the academic year. In response to that reality, the Summer Meals Program – funded by the Federal government and run by the New York City Department of Education – provides a critical service to the children of New York City, one in five of whom lives in homes that can’t afford to buy enough food.

Summer Meals are free to all children under 19 years old regardless of their income, citizenship status, residency, or public school enrollment, and will be served until August 29th. Said Joel Berg, Executive Director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, “It is vital to note that kids can get free meals just by showing up. Their parents don’t need to bring any paperwork or even sign anything.”

An updated on-line service on the website of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (http://www.nyccah.org/maps/schoolfood/) makes it even easier for parents and service providers to find Summer Meals sites. Using technology provided by HungerMaps.org, this site allows parents and service providers to search for Summer Meals sites by borough and to find the exact address for the site closest to them. Parents can also search for Summer Meals sites based in Emergency Food Programs. Parents without Internet access can call the City at 311 to find the site nearest to them.

Continued Berg, “We greatly appreciate that the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Education worked with us to pilot these new sites at pantries and kitchens. Now that there are additional sites and that they are easier to find, we need to get the word out that these free Summer Meals are available. Given our current food prices crises, every bit of free food that struggling families can access for their children helps.”