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This summer, every New Yorker aged 18 and under has access to healthy and nutritious food — no matter who they are or where they live.

Through the NYC Department of Education’s Free Summer Meals program, any young New Yorker who is 18 years old and under can get free, healthy, and nutritious breakfast and lunch this summer at designated public schools, community pool centers, parks, and food trucks across the five boroughs!

Sites are typically open Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch—no registration, documentation, or identification is necessary to receive free meals. Some sites, including our pool centers as well as our food trucks, also offer free summer meals during weekends, too.

Banner with sky blue background and a circle of assorted fruits and vegetables in the middle—at center is a circular title that reads, "Free Summer Meals June 28–September 1".

Our summer meals provide children a variety of fresh and tasty fruits, whole grains, salads, and vegetables that are perfect for growing bodies!

Our breakfast and lunch menus reflect the DOE’s commitment to the highest standards of nutrition—in fact, our meals meet or exceed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) standards, and we do not use food additives such as artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

To find a Summer Meals distribution site near you, use our official Find a Meal Location search tool online. You can also text “NYCFood” to 304-304 (“COMIDA” for Spanish speakers—standard text messaging rates apply) or call 311 to find meal sites near you. Please note that all locations, dates, and times are subject to change.

Interested in obtaining Halal meals? Check out our list of locations (link opens spreadsheet) for details.

Summer Meals will be distributed through Friday, September 1, 2023—on behalf of NYC Public Schools, we wish all New Yorkers a scrumptious and healthy summer!


Banner photo by Arina Krasnikova. Used under Creative Commons license. Original can be found on Pexels.

Official blog for the NYC Department of Education, home of a million students across 1,800+ schools

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