FREE MEALS FOR ALL KIDS & TEENS THIS SCHOOL YEAR

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA has extended a number of program flexibilities in order to allow meal providers to continue serving free meals to all children and teens throughout this school year. No registration or ID is required, and meals will be available through June 30, 2021. Please refer to the MA meal finder map at www.meals4kids.or/meals, which shows the hundreds of meal sites throughout the Commonwealth where families can easily access free meals for their children. This resource provides site addresses and hours for all sites that are considered “open sites,” which means that they serve meals to any child or teen (they do NOT have to be enrolled in a particular district) and it is updated regularly with new sites. Please help spread the word as wide as possible about these important changes in school meal programs so that more Massachusetts children and teens will have access to healthy meals this year.

Project Bread’s Child Nutrition Outreach Program, alongside the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE,) works to increase participation in two underutilized federal child nutrition programs, the National School Breakfast Program and the Summer Food Service Program (known as Summer Eats in Massachusetts). Together, we strive to ensure that all children in Massachusetts have access to nutritious meals, working directly with school districts and meal providers to provide technical assistance and innovative solutions to ensure these programs make the most impact on the children who need them. To find other food resources, please call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333 or visit www.projectbread.org/get-help.