NYC Parks Joins New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi to Kickoff Free Summer Meals Program in the Bronx

In The Shadows of Yankee Stadium is Mullaly Pool, a place where hundreds of kids gather daily for sun, play and free summer meals. Today, NY Yankees Manager Joe Girardi and City Council member Vanessa L. Gibson joined Department of Education officials and anti-hunger advocate organizations to kick off New York City's FREE summer meals program, promote summer meal site locations and reward children with Yankee game tickets for making healthy choices.

"School's out in New York City, but summer vacation may also be a time of hunger and economic hardship for families who rely on school breakfast and lunch for meals," says City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. "Through September 4th, New York City's Summer Meals Program will provide free, nutritious breakfast and lunch to any child 18 years of age and younger at schools, pools, parks, New York City Housing Authority complexes, and other locations throughout the City. This essential program will connect children and youth to the nutrition they need, and give families peace of mind that their children have healthy meal options while parents are at work. I thank the American Dairy Association North East, the New York Yankees, and the NYC Department of Education for partnering with us to combat hunger in our city."

Gibson and other council members will continue to spread awareness of summer meal sites throughout the summer by visiting sites and awarding kids with Yankee tickets and merchandise. "Though school is out, the New York City Summer Meals Program ensures that our children have access to wholesome, nutritious food in the summer months. When facing hunger, it is all too easy to reach for unhealthy snacks that are so readily available. The New York City Summer Meals Program provides healthy meal options at locations across the City, including parks and pools, and will encourage smart eating habits at an early age. Together, we can take a bite out of hunger and malnutrition in New York City," said Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson.

"This critical program provides free meals during the summer months to ensure students are prepared to start the school year healthy and ready to learn," said Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña. "Eating healthy meals for breakfast and lunch is essential to a child's development, and the Summer Meals program will ensure that children can easily access these important meals during the summer."

On behalf of the American Dairy Association North East (ADANE), Girardi spoke about the importance of maintaining good nutrition habits over the summer and the connection healthy food choices have in fueling physical and mental wellness. The five-year ADANE and Yankees partnership strives increase awareness of the Free Summer Meals program through player appearances and other assets including game tickets and merchandise.

"NYC Parks is proud to once again be a partner in the Summer Meals program where this year we will provide free breakfast and lunch to kids at over 85 parks and pools," said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. "This free program ensures that children across the five boroughs can enjoy healthy meals so that they receive the proper nutrition throughout the warm months of summer. We appreciate the support of our sponsors, partner organizations, and elected officials who continue to make programs like this possible."

Over the past 5 years, the number of City residents receiving aid under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has increased from 1.3 million to 1.8 million making the FREE summer meals program vital to City families. According to Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg, "Summer meals are a grand slam for New York City children. One in five children in New York City face food insecurity during the year, a startling statistic which only worsens in summer months due to the lack of school meals. Our team works tirelessly throughout the summer to raise awareness about the availability of this vital program. This is why we have teamed up with the United Way of NYC to research and publish a report on barriers to access of the summer meals program in NYC. Together, we can bring the heat with free summer meals."

The summer meals program runs through September 2 and is available to all children age 18 and younger - no registration or identification required- at roughly 1,100 locations, including pools, schools, libraries, parks, public housing sites and community-based organizations throughout the five boroughs. Children don't need to be enrolled in summer school to participate in the summer meals program and no application is required. These meals are available at many locations, regardless of where a child lives.

Summer meals sites serve breakfast weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. In an effort to make summer meals even more accessible and convenient, the DOE operates four refrigerated food trucks that will offer meals seven days a week at:

• CorOna Plaza (Roosevelt Avenue & 103 rd Street, Queens, NY 11368)

• Corona Park Zoo (53-51 111th Street, Queens, NY 11368; Parking Lot @ 111th Street)

• Roberto Clemente State Park (301 West Tremont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453)

• Sara D. Roosevelt Park (Rivington Park 14 Rivington St (Forsyth St), New York, NY, 10002

This year, parents have many ways to find nearby summer meals locations. Families can call 311, visit 311 online at www.nyc.gov/311, or visit the SchoolFood (www.schoolfoodnyc.org) or Share Our Strength (http://www.nokidhungry.org/summer) websites. Parents also may text "nycmeals" to 877-877, or visit the Parks Department website (http://www.nycgovparks.org/) for locations of parks and pools. There is also a mobile app, which shows all Summer Meal sites and maps those closest to the user, and also provides daily menus. The free app, SchoolFood, can be downloaded on Apple and Android platforms. Spread the word with #FreeSummerMeals and #SchoolFoodTruck.

In conjunction with the June 29th Summer Meals Kick-Off Event, Hunger Free America released a report on the barrier analysis of the summer meals program in NYC. The report discusses reasons why so many students who utilize free and subsidized school meals programs during the school year, do not participate in the summer meals program. The report highlights the reasons for these barriers as well as provides solutions in overcoming them. http://www.hungerfreeamerica.org/blog/summer-meals-barrier-analysis-report-2016

Nicole Gallant, Senior Vice President and Chief Impact Officer of United Way of New York City says, "Year round access to healthy food is critical for a child's development. And yet, without access to school meals, the summer can be an especially challenging time for families trying to make ends meet. United Way of New York City is proud to support Hunger Free New York City's newly released report that highlights the barriers to participation in the Summer Meals Program throughout the five boroughs. We applaud every effort to ensure healthy meals are available for all who need them throughout the summer months."