Celebrating Summer Meals 2024
When school is out of session, school meals are also unavailable, and their absence can make summer the hungriest time of the year for many kids. Free Summer Meals step in to help fill the gap! This nationwide program serves free meals daily at schools, libraries, parks, community centers, and more locations. Anyone 18 years old or younger can eat for free each day at one of hundreds of sites around the state and country. No application, paperwork, or proof of eligibility is ever required.
Summer meals are served by dedicated employees and volunteers, who work hard to provide both meals and fun activities to make coming to meal sites a treat! To celebrate their hard work and promote the program, United Way of King County recently held a summer meals festival and field day. Hosted in Jefferson Park beside the playground, this event brought the Summer Meals site in the community center outside for the day and combined it with popsicles, popcorn, and tons of fun activities. Parents and caretakers could eat alongside kids this day, and over 250 meals were served!
Even from a distance, the event stood out to and welcomed in anyone and everyone passing by. Many families came to enjoy the festivities, along with summer camps. There were tents where the meals were served and could be eaten in the shade, information about services from community partners, two big bouncy houses, and lots and lots of balloons. Kids could have their face painted and take pictures at the photo stand, or pet and play with bunnies, ducks, a goat, and a baby pig at the petting zoo. Children and adults alike stayed cool in the sun with playful water-ball fights, launching light water-soaked foam balls at one another.
The City of Seattle and United Way of King County were joined by other organizations and departments with resources for families, including Internet Essentials by Xfinity, Seattle Children’s, and the City of Seattle Utility Discount Program. Information about SUN Bucks, another new program that helps feed kids during the summer, was also shared.
The highlight of the day, of course, was all of the free meals that were served! Tons of friendly volunteers made it easy and quick to pick up a meal for kids and adults alike, completely for free. The lovely weather meant that many kids had a great time sitting in the grass to eat, while other families sat under tents to catch a break from the sun. Look at all these happy faces!
While the Summer Meals Celebration has now passed, free meals continue all summer long in many different places! Some sites may offer their own fun activities, such as arts and crafts or games, along with the meals for kids. To find a Free Summer Meals site near you, visit our main page for the program here!
If you’re part of a community organization or group that’s interested in helping make sure kids have enough to eat all year long, consider hosting a Free Summer Meals site! The cost of the meals served can be reimbursed by the federal government, and United Way of King County can help you connect to resources to get started! Visit our partner page here to learn more.