Where can New Bedford kids eat free this summer?
NEW BEDFORD — No matter where kids live in the city, the idea behind New Bedford's Summer Eats programming is that they'll never be too far away from a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, or fun, as the program expands this summer, especially when it comes to sites for dinnertime offerings.
The program, a collaboration between New Bedford Public Schools, Department of Parks, Recreation & Beaches and Project Bread, kicked off this week with special events at Hazelwood Park in the South End on Monday and the Andrea McCoy Recreation Center in the West End on Tuesday. Both events ran in addition to the start of programming at regular Summer Eats sites like Brooklawn Park, and featured juggling/magic, rock climbing, music, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, prizes, face-painting and, of course, food.
Now, through the rest of summer, Summer Eats will be regularly popping up at 29 meal sites throughout the city, each offering meals for anyone 18 or younger.
"One in five students in Massachusetts are facing hunger so it's imperative that there are meals year-round," said Chloe Miller, outreach coordinator for Project Bread, the state program that supports New Bedford's Summer Eats and similar programming in other communities across Massachusetts. "No ID, no registration, no questions asked."
'A pretty unique situation'
According to Miller, one of the unique things about New Bedford's spin on Project Bread-based programming is how the web of local agencies and organizations involved, like the school and parks departments, work so closely with one another to coordinate the widest reach possible.
"I think the thing most unique in New Bedford is how closely these groups work together in summer to really expand access," she said.
As Department of Parks, Recreation and Beaches Director Mary Rapoza explained, in New Bedford, the school department has several sites around the city that are used as meal prep sites which supply the Summer Eats program with all of its food for both city-run sites like the parks, and school buildings opened up as Summer Eats sites by the school department.
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"The meals used to come from a central location but now they're producing meals at several places so it really has become more efficient," Rapoza said on Tuesday at the rec center during the season kickoff event, amid tossing the occasional out-of-bounds basketball back to the kids on the court.
On the road
To expand the program's reach further, the parks department last year started piloting the Recreation and Relaxation Van, which will stop at two parks a day, Monday through Friday, at sites not otherwise engaged by the program. While it may have been less noticeable last year, Parks Department Out of School Time and Event Coordinator TJ Thomas says it's sure to catch more eyes this summer.
"This year we received a grant that's kind of renovating the van," Thomas said. "We had a local artist design a wrap that will be really cool-looking. It's in the shop getting finished now."
Once completed, the van will start its summer work of bringing whatever equipment and supplies may be needed for the activities of the day.
"It allows us to do more recreational activities. We're able to load it up with things for crafting and arts, sports games and things like that," Thomas said Tuesday, noting a non-wrapped van was out at the time while the main one gets finished. "Right now they're at Monte Park with tie-dye kits. They do bracelet-making, balloons, slime-making — so they're able to offer a larger variety vs. having a couple staff members in the park with a bag of stuff."
Rapoza noted that in addition to the activities, the Recreation and Relaxation Van also brings free meals to the sites it visits.
Work for teens
Aside from knowing kids won't be too far away from a good meal this summer, Rapoza says one of her favorite parts about Summer Eats is that it creates job opportunities for them in their teens.
"We get to hire New Bedford teens every summer, many of them who've never had a job so it's a great opportunity for them to get some work experience," she said. "And the other thing is most of the kids work in their neighborhoods so they're role models for the kids they live near.
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"The teens have relayed back to us how empowering it is for them to be able to offer that kind of service to kids in their neighborhoods."
Meal site guide
Here's a few of the sites Summer Eats will be, and when. For a full listing, visit ProjectBread.org/summereats, call the Department of Parks, Recreation and Beaches at 508-961-3015, ext. 1, or New Bedford Public Schools at 508-997-4515.
Brooklawn Park, 1997 Acushnet Ave: Lunch Monday to Friday, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Community Gardens at Riverside Park (Coffin Avenue side), 297 Belleville Ave.: Dinner Tuesday and Thursday, 5:15 to 5:45 p.m.
Rest and Relaxation Van site at Dias Field, 392 Mt. Pleasant St.: Lunch Fridays, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Keith Middle School, 225 Hathaway Boulevard: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. breakfast, 11:30 a.m. lunch
Hayden McFadden Elementary School, 361 Cedar Grove St.: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. breakfast, 11:30 a.m. lunch
Gomes Elementary School, 286 S. 2nd St.: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. breakfast, 11:30 a.m. lunch
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford kids' meals program starts up
