Boston offering free meals for kids until the end of summer

Children across Boston can now eat for free at more than 30 sites across the city until the end of August. 

The Boston Summer Eats program, which started in 2017 to expand access to free and healthy meals for youth in the city and close the summer food gap, launched on Wednesday. Through the program, kids 18 and younger can access freshly prepared meals at 33 sites. Most locations are offering breakfast and lunch and some will also provide snacks, according to the office of Mayor Michelle Wu. 

The meals must be eaten on site, but no registration or identification is required. 

“In the summer, it’s essential that every child in Boston has continued access to nutritious meals,” Wu said in a statement. “The Boston Eats program plays a critical role in ensuring our young people are well-fed and healthy, outside of the school year, regardless of their circumstances.”

The program is run in partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Food Justice, Boston Public Schools, the YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston Centers for Youth & Families, and Project Bread.

Sites for the Boston Summer Eats program include the Mattapan Square Public Library and IDIIL Learning Center. According to the mayor’s office, residents can find additional locations for free meals for youth across Massachusetts by calling Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333.

Wu’s office is also encouraging city residents who receive SNAP, Summer EBT, and WIC benefits to shop at farmers markets in the city.

“The City’s Farmers Market coupons are available for food insecure households from 33 community based organizations and community health centers in Boston, through federal recovery act funding,” the mayor’s office said. “You can find a list of organizations distributing these coupons here. The goal of the Farmers Market Coupon Program is to support households who do not qualify for federal and state programs, including but not limited to immigrants and refugees.”

In a statement, Wu said the program helps ensure “that all residents can access fresh, healthy food.”