Free lunch, summertime activities offered at five Toledo parks this year

Jun. 8—City officials want Toledo's youth to have access to fun, enriching activities this summer alongside the free lunches the city provides at its larger parks during the week.

Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, along with Toledo City Council members Tiffany Preston Whitman and Vanice Williams, on Monday announced a 13-week program they've dubbed the Good Grub Social Club program.

Now through Aug. 13, Toledoans age 18 and younger can enjoy a free lunch at five of the city's major parks and participate in several rotating activities.

The free lunches, provided by Connecting Kids to Meals and the Children's Hunger Alliance, will be available Monday-Friday at these parks:

—11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at Willys Park, 1375 Hillcrest Ave.

—1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at Smith Park, 910 Dorr St.

—2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Walbridge Park, 2761 Broadway St.

—1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at Wilson Park, 3253 Otto St.

—Noon to 12:45 p.m. at Navarre Park, 1001 White St.

The Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Imagination Station, YMCA of Greater Toledo, Toledo School for the Arts, and Toledo Grows all will have mobile units on site to offer various activities, including learning about nature and science, creating dance routines, and reading. The rotating schedule for each organization is available at toledo.oh.gov/summer.

There are no income requirements or guidelines other than age for Toledoans to qualify for the free meal and programming, officials said.

Mr. Kapszukiewicz said the Good Grub Social Club will "provide truly holistic services to the children of our community."

"This is part of our ongoing commitment, which we have talked relentlessly about this year, to give kids productive things to do this summer," he said. "We want them to have great experiences, wonderful memories, make friends, and get out and get exercise."

City Council in May approved spending $1.4 million of Toledo's $180.9 million American Rescue Plan Act allocation to bolster summer programs for youth, including sports, recreation, arts and science activities, and a youth jobs program. Part of that expenditure will pay for the Good Grub Social Club food and programs, the mayor said.

Wendi Huntley, president of Connecting Kids to Meals, said there are 60,000 kids in Toledo who rely on free meals. Her organization and other partners are working to ensure that wherever youth programming is taking place in Toledo this summer, children will be able to get a meal, too.

"When summer hits, many of them struggle to find access to healthy meals," she said. "Nutrition is key for kids' development."

In addition to the lunches available at five Toledo parks, Toledoans can see other locations where free meals are being distributed at partnerstoledo.org.

Ms. Williams said it's important that city leaders make this summer impactful for the city's young people, especially after the difficult school year children experienced because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to the rotating mobile activities, she promoted the various summer camps the city is holding at parks throughout Toledo.

Offerings include boxing, basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, golf, football, special olympics, cricket, swimming lessons, and general fitness camps. On the arts and technology side, kids can enroll in drumline, performing arts, coding, poetry, and podcasting camps.

"I'm super excited about that. Our kids are going to be working up a hunger, and we'll have food to provide them there," Ms. Williams said.

The mayor and council members urged community members to take advantage of all the summer programs, and they've been distributing fliers across the city to spread the word.

"We've provided some resources here. Now we need to get kids and families to take advantage of it," Mr. Kapszukiewicz said.

First Published June 7, 2021, 5:31pm