MILWAUKEE— Thousands of kids will be able to eat free meals this summer thanks to the summer meal program that kicked off in Milwaukee County Tuesday.
The “Meet up and Eat up” Summer Meals program spans across over 150 sites in Milwaukee County. Hunger Task Force and others will collaborate to feed kids throughout the summer months.
“Children in Milwaukee are at a higher risk of hunger while school is not in session,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said. “The summer meals program will provide thousands of kids right here in our community with nutritious food and allow families to save money and have fun together during the summer months."
The organization said they plan to serve more than 400,000 meals this summer. There is a long list of locations that will be offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner for kids and teen in the community.
“When we look at the school year, kids usually have access to those free meals in the school day," Hunger Task Force community nutrition program manager, Ashley Best said. "When the school year is out, those meals go away. So, the summer meals program provides a crucial link to nutrition while the school is out."
There are many people behind the scenes who make this long standing program run. Best, is one of them. She has been helping to coordinate the summer meals program for 12 years now and said it’s something important to her.
“I’m very passionate about making sure that every child knows that they have access to healthy meals in their community,” Best said.
Best said one in four children go to bed hungry in Milwaukee. She said it’s why this programming is so important.
“It’s wonderful to know that they will be fed the proper nutrition they need to be active, and growing and really their brains are moving,” Best said.
Archie McClendon brought his grandson to get lunch on the first day of the program. They live nearby and said this program will be helpful over the summer.
“Some of the kids over here in this neighborhood may not be getting breakfast or lunch or whatever," McClendon said. “It’s a really positive thing that they are doing."
Best said she knows this program is impactful, which is why she continues to come back each year to coordinate and help feed kids in the community.
“I just want parent to know that it is very easy to use, it’s very helpful for all families. I encourage everyone to try it once because you will want to come back," she said.
For more information, text “FOOD” to “304-304”.