No Kid Hungry and NYC Public Schools Serve Up Free Summer Meals

No Kid Hungry New York and the NYC Public Schools are rolling out three mobile food trucks this summer to reach more kids across the city with free summer meals, expanding the program to areas with historically low participation. The trucks have been deployed to Prospect Park in Brooklyn, Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan, and Ferry Point Park in The Bronx. Free summer meals are now available at over 1,000 locations across New York City including schools, parks, pools, libraries and mobile trucks.

On Thursday, No Kid Hungry, NYC Public Schools, and Council Member Rita Joseph held a promotional event and photo opportunity at their Prospect Park food truck location.

Where to Find Free Summer Meals: No Kid Hungry has a national Free Meals Finder texting hotline to connect families to a site near them providing no cost meals. Anyone ages 18 years and under is eligible. No registration, documentation, or ID is necessary to receive a meal. To find a Summer Meals program near you, just text "FOOD" or “COMIDA” (for Spanish language service) to 304-304.

“Summer is the hungriest time of year for kids in New York. We see food insecurity spike every year during these few months, as kids lose access to no-cost school meals,” said Rachel Sabella, Director of No Kid Hungry New York. “By partnering with the NYC Public Schools on mobile trucks, we are able to reach even more communities and ensure meals are easily accessible. I want to make sure every family in New York City knows summer meals are available to ensure kids continue to receive the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.”

“Our schools are the centers of our communities, providing critical resources for our families, including free summer meals to any young person who needs it,” said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. “I'm so proud to be supporting another year of summer meals and tackling food insecurity across the five boroughs.”

“As the Chair of the City Council’s Education Committee, I know how critical proper nutrition is to children’s growth and learning potential. The summer meals program run by the New York City Public Schools ensures children across the city can have regular access to meals over the summer months no matter where they are – schools, parks, pools – nearly 1,000 locations are offering meals this summer. I’m thrilled that for the second time a summer meals food truck will be in Prospect Park so children in my district and from across the city that visit this amazing location can have a free meal each day,” said New York City Council Member and Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph.

This effort comes as a recent No Kid Hungry poll shows that 78% of New York City households said the cost of food was rising faster than their income, and 70% indicated it had become harder to afford groceries in the past year. By bringing meals into the communities where kids live and play, the food trucks are making it easier for families to access free meals when they need it most.