City offering free youth summer lunches to City Hall Plaza

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced Boston will host free summer meals for students on City Hall Plaza July 5 through August 25. In collaboration with Boston Public Schools, Property Management, the Mayor's Office of Food Access and the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics, Mayor Walsh will welcome young people 18 and under to enjoy summer activities on City Hall Plaza and pick up a lunch at no cost. The program will run from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday on a first-come, first-served basis.

"We know that for our students to succeed, they need resources to support them," said Mayor Walsh. "That's why we're expanding the Summer Lunch program to Boston City Hall, which will allow even more students to participate in this important program. I encourage students this summer to visit one of free lunch sites available to them throughout Boston."

The City Hall Plaza summer meals site will enable young people working in and near City Hall — including those who are part of Boston's Summer Jobs program — to access a nutritious free lunch at no cost to them. While enjoying their meal, young people are invited to enjoy the picnic tables and other plaza furniture provided by Berkshire Bank.

"We have to do all we can to ensure our students are healthy and ready to learn, and that includes outreach over the summer," said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang. "Having a centralized location at City Hall helps our ongoing mission of serving students breakfast and lunch at more than 100 sites throughout the City. I'd like to thank Mayor Walsh for supporting us in this important effort."

"Lunch on the Lawn" is part of the Boston Public Schools summer meals program. The summer meals program is a USDA initiative that is administered in Massachusetts by the Department of Education. The Boston Public Schools will sponsor the site, in addition to over 100 other sites around the City. The program does not require pre-enrollment or registration, and there is no ID required to receive a meal. All young people 18 and under are invited to pick up lunch at summer meal sites throughout the City. The program has been in operation in Boston since 1996.

"From parks to schools to City Hall, free meals will be available in over 100 locations in Boston this summer, and we look forward to serving all young people who come by a Summer Meals site," said Jaclyn Youngblood, a member of the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics and site supervisor of the City Hall Plaza Summer Meal site.

"Last summer, we served over 400,000 meals to young people, and this year, we're looking forward to reaching that number again," said Laura Benavidez, Executive Director of Boston Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services. "These nourishing meals help ensure our young people are healthy in order to build upon their learning and enjoy their summer experiences here in Boston."

We create a map with a full list of open sites this summer. You can also visit the Boston Public Schools website, or text "meal" to 877-877 for more information.