MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCED 2021 SUMMER EATS GRANTS APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
May 17, 2021
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Meal sites open to youth aged 18 and under at no cost with no
registration required
BOSTON
- Monday, May 17, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey and the Mayor’s Office of Food Access
(OFA) today announced that Boston Summer Eats grant applications for
summer 2021 are now open. Grants will be available for community organizations
interested in hosting a Boston Summer Eats meal site. The Boston Summer Eats is
an innovative effort to lessen the summer food gap by increasing the
availability of non-traditional meal sites. The goal of the program is to
expand access to free and healthy meals for kids and teens in Boston.
Interested community- or faith-based organizations are encouraged to apply here by June 11, 2021.
“It
is imperative that we work to close the summer food gap, and this initiative is
the first step in doing so,” said Mayor Kim Janey. “As students enjoy summer
vacation, we must continue to ensure that they have access to healthy and
nutritious food. I would like to thank everyone involved in this program to
support Boston youth, and I encourage all interested organizations to apply for
these grants.”
The
Boston Summer Eats program is led by the Mayor’s Office of Food Access (OFA) in
partnership with Project Bread, the Greater Boston YMCA, and Boston Public
Schools Food & Nutrition Services, and is sponsored by the Boston
Children's Hospital. The program provides free, nutritious meals to youth aged
18 and under. Last summer, the program served 1,894,748 meals across 91 sites
in 16 neighborhoods. Among the 97 sites, there were 23 non-traditional sites,
including certain Boston Housing Authority properties, Farmers Markets,
community and faith-based organizations, and Boston City Hall.
“I
am thankful for strong partnerships we have made to address the summer meal
gap, and reduce barriers for our youth to easily access healthy meal options as
they transition into a new school year.” Said Catalina López-Ospina, Director
of the Mayor’s Office of Food Access. “Good nutrition and access to healthy
food is essential for our youth, it is directly linked to a young person’s
health and success.”
This
summer, sites will operate from June 21, 2021 through August 31, 2021.
Organizations interested in hosting a non-traditional site must operate in the
City of Boston, commit to administer and execute community outreach for Boston
Summer Eats in neighborhoods, and pledge to provide meals to all children and
teens ages 18 and under. Operating hours and dates can be determined by the
organization.
There
are three categories of grants available for community-based organizations,
dependent on the number of days a meal site is operational:
- Five days a week, range up to
$4,000
- Three days a week, range up to
$2,400
- One to two days a week, range
up to $1,600
For
summer 2021, grant funds are to be used exclusively for personnel to help staff
the site, and the funding is determined based on the number of operational
days/hours. Monetary awards are accompanied by comprehensive technical
assistance and support. All sites will use the grab-&-go model, and
distribute breakfast and lunch together.
Residents
who wish to access free meals for youth aged 18 and under, can find sites
at www.boston.gov/boston-eats or
find additional locations across the state by texting “Food” or
“Comida” to 877-877. Hours of operation vary depending on the site, and
most meal sites are currently offering breakfast and lunch. Parents can pick up
meals for youth who are not present. No registration or identification is
required. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meals will be taken
off-site, rather than eaten in a congregate meal setting at the site.
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