Frontier Field turned into a field of fun activities for children as part of the summer meals kickoff. This community-wide event was a celebration of the healthy, FREE meals available to ALL children in Rochester during the summer months. The Summer Meals Program is a collaboration with the City of Rochester, Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency, Foodlink, the Rochester Area Community Foundation, and the Rochester City School District.
The kickoff celebration involved fun, sun, and a healthy meal for the approximately 1,200 children who attended. The kids participated in various activities including sports clinics, hula hoops, jump rope, trivia, crafts, nutrition education, and reading!
There are 66 open sites around Rochester offering free summer meals. The Summer Food Service Program is funded through the New York State Department of Education. The program provides breakfast, lunch, and even dinner to children. Families can call 2-1-1 or go www.healthikids.org to find the closest site. Sites include Rochester schools, recreation centers, and various day camps. Again, these meals are FREE OF CHARGE to any child 18 and under living in the City of Rochester. There is no need to fill out any paperwork. Youth can just drop into any site during meal time to enjoy a free meal with other kids their age.
The summer meals kickoff would not have been possible without the support from various partners. A special thank you goes out to the following:
- National League of Cities and Food Research and Action Center for providing funding for the event and to expand summer meals in Rochester.
- Rochester Red Wings for hosting the event and treating guests with such a special experience.
- FirstStudent for transporting all children to and from the event.
- Monroe Ambulance for providing complementary on-site services.
- Rochester Lancers, Rec on the Move, 5-2-1-0 Street Team, and YMCA for assisting in various activities.
- Freshwise Kitchen for providing all the meals for those in attendance.
- Volunteers from ESL Federal Credit Union and Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield.
