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SCSD summer meal program aims to reach thousands of families

Michael Billingsley helps a family member insert a straw into a milk container
Scott Willis
/
WAER News
Michael Billingsley helps a family member insert a straw into a milk container during the launch of SCSD's Summer Meal Program at Burnet Park July 8, 2024.

Syracuse city school children can still get free meals even while schools are closed during the summer.  The district is providing meals at more than three dozen sites across the city. 

Dozens of families turned out for Monday’s kick-off of the free summer meal program at Burnet Park. Thousands of Syracuse children receive free breakfast, lunch, or both while school’s in session. But director of the district’s food nutrition service Rachel Viens says it can be a strain on families when children are home for the summer.

“In Syracuse, you have free meals for all, so you don't even have to think about breakfast, what's for lunch," Viens said. "We feed the children now. This is our way of continuing that effort. We have a lot of food service sites throughout the summer.”

Scott Willis
/
WAER News

Pick-up sites include mostly schools, but also parks and trusted community locations. Viens says she and her team put together a wide array of nutritious meals.

“If a kid wants to come and just get a PBJ, they can," Viens said. "But we also have hot meals that we serve that gives a little bit more variety than just your classic school meal program.”

Viens says they expect to serve about six thousand children through the summer meal program.

Bags of fruit and vegetables will be distributed at most of the school meal sites.
Scott Willis
/
WAER News
Bags of fruit and vegetables will be distributed at

The Food Bank of Central New York continues to partner with the district. This year, executive director Karen Belcher says they’re expanding what they call their little farmers market.

“Every day of the week there will be the access to three to four produce items weekly and it will rotate what those items are during the summer," Belcher said. "But those families are going home with fresh produce that's serving not only those students, but the families as well.”

Belcher says many of the items are grown here in New York. She says providing healthy fruits and vegetables can help families who might not otherwise be able to access or afford them.

See the chart below for the summer meal sites.

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.