Boston Summer Eats Program and farmers market season opens

Mayor Michelle Wu and the Mayor’s Workplace of Meals Justice this week introduced that 155 Boston Summer time Eats Program free meal websites for folks 18 or youthful have opened, and farmers market coupons can be found to folks in want.

Summer time Eats launched in 2017 with the objective of increasing entry to free and wholesome meals for Boston kids through the summer season, once they wouldn’t be capable to obtain the free meals they get through the college 12 months.

“Boston’s Summer time Eats program and our Farmers Market coupon program helps a meals methods strategy to offer residents with nutritious meals that additionally assist our native economic system and the well being of our planet,” Wu mentioned in a press release.

Residents who need to entry free meals for kids can discover websites at www.boston.gov/summer-eats or discover different areas throughout the state by texting “Meals” or “Comida” to 304-304. Hours of operation fluctuate relying on the location, and most meal websites are presently providing breakfast, lunch and snacks. No registration or identification is required. This 12 months, there can be no grab-and-go choices obtainable. Kids are strongly inspired to eat on web site.

“Summer time ought to be a joyous time the place kids and youth shouldn’t have to fret about meals,” mentioned James Morton, president and CEO of the YMCA of Better Boston. “Boston Summer time Eats removes boundaries for kids and youth and makes it simple for them to entry meals throughout town. By means of sturdy collaboration with companions, we’re in a position to not solely distribute meals, however culturally applicable meals that kids and youth need.”

One other useful resource that households with kids can use along with Summer time Eats is the Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) program. P-EBT can be obtainable for households when colleges are closed. All college students in Boston colleges, in addition to infants and youngsters 0 to five years outdated whose households get Supplemental Vitamin Help Program (SNAP) advantages, are eligible for P-EBT.

Kindergarten to grade 12 college students will obtain a complete of $391 in P-EBT advantages in two equal funds of $195.50. The primary cost was issued on July 3, and the second cost can be issued on Aug. 3. In the event you consider your scholar is eligible for Summer time P-EBT however didn’t obtain it on July 3, please wait till July 11 to contact your little one’s college.

Households who obtain SNAP and P-EBT this 12 months for kids ages 0 to six may even obtain two summer season P-EBT funds of $195.50 – one on July 25 and one other on Aug. 25. These funds will go on to residents’ P-EBT playing cards or SNAP/EBT playing cards if they’re enrolled in SNAP, a federal program that gives food-purchasing help for low- and no-income folks.

Residents ought to preserve their P-EBT playing cards, even once they have used all of the funds, in case extra advantages are added sooner or later. These funds can be utilized to buy groceries anyplace EBT or SNAP is accepted, together with farmers markets. Residents can obtain the Contemporary EBT app to search out close by shops and farmers markets that settle for EBT.

The Workplace of Meals Justice encourages residents who’re SNAP, P-EBT or Girls Infants and Kids (WIC) diet program recipients to leverage packages obtainable at farmers markets, such because the Wholesome Incentives Program and WIC. This may make the meals obtainable at farmers markets extra reasonably priced and supply households with more healthy choices.

The Mayor’s Workplace of Meals Justice is working the Farmers Market Coupon Program for the third 12 months. The objective is to assist households who don’t qualify for federal and state packages, together with however not restricted to immigrants and refugees.

This 12 months, the Mayor’s Workplace of Meals Justice has partnered with greater than 20 community-based organizations to distribute farmers market coupons to food-insecure households in Boston, together with Allston, Brighton, Charleston, Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury and South Boston. No extra coupons can be found at the moment.