Healey-Driscoll Administration Recruits More Organizations to Serve as Summer Eats Meal Sponsors

Healey-Driscoll Administration Recruits More Organizations to Serve as Summer Eats Meal Sponsors Summer Eats provides kids free, healthy meals throughout the summer EVERETT – At a time when many families in Massachusetts are facing food insecurity and the federal government has made cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other food assistance programs, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is calling on additional organizations to sponsor Summer Eats meal sites. Summer Eats provides children 18 years of age and younger with free, healthy meals over the summer months when they no longer have access to school meals. Meal sites include schools and other community locations, from parks to summer camps.   Last summer, there were 128 sponsoring organizations supporting more than 1,100 meal sites across the state. On average, 59,000 kids received a meal daily, with 2.5 million meals being served in total.   “Hunger does not take a break in the summer. It has never been more important to have programs like Summer Eats that provide free and healthy food to children. I hope more organizations will consider becoming a sponsor. In Massachusetts, we remain committed to promoting food security and setting the conditions for all children to thrive,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler.   “Shortly after joining DESE last summer, I was fortunate to visit Summer Eats sites at schools in Western Massachusetts,” said Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez. “I saw family engagement in action. Our site partners provide not only food, but also fun activities and resources to families who stop by.”   The Healey-Driscoll Administration has been focused on strengthening nutrition programs to expand access to healthy, local food for families and children, including making universal free school meals permanent and creating an Anti-Hunger Task Force. Governor Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget builds on these efforts and includes a $18 million increase for school meals, a $5 million increase for food banks and food pantries and fully funds the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP).   Through Summer Eats, sponsors administer one or more summer meal sites and are responsible for all financial and administrative aspects of the program. A sponsor may be a public school district, local government agency, camp, or private non-profit organization. Summer Eats, formally known as the Summer Food Service Food Program, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In Massachusetts, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) administers the program, including providing sponsors with technical support. Project Bread’s Child Nutrition Outreach Program provides Summer Eats outreach assistance.    “As families across Massachusetts face growing pressure on their grocery budgets, Project Bread remains committed to ensuring that Summer Eats can continue to provide free, healthy meals to all children and teens—no questions asked,” said Erin McAleer, president and CEO of Project Bread. “Currently, one in three households statewide are experiencing food insecurity, and Summer Eats is a scalable, sustainable method of ensuring children can access nutritious food year-round. We are proud to partner with DESE and the Healey-Driscoll Administration to expand participation and ensure that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to nutritious food while school is out.”   “Food 4 Kids Cape Cod served 55,864 free meals over 10 weeks in 2025, relying on a small seasonal staff and more than 190 volunteers to deliver daily meals to over 20 sites,” said Jenn Gale, executive director of Food 4 Kids, which has been a Summer Eats sponsor for over 10 years. “The Lower and Outer Cape is a remote, high-cost region where many working families struggle to make ends meet. As the only summer food service on the Outer and Lower Cape, local families have come to rely on free meals for their kids while they are working hard in the summer.”   Many Summer Eats programs will open before July 4 and will continue serving meals through the end of August. For more information on Summer Eats, including how to become a site sponsor, call Project Bread at 617-723-5000. During the summer, families can find meal sites through Project Bread’s website.