Lunch at the park
Every weekday at 11:30 a.m. this summer, a Dining Services van pulls up at five sites near the Downtown Campus: the campus plaza and four city parks. Any child 18 or younger can get a free lunch, no questions asked. The program has served 38,000 meals since it began in 2023, and it is on track to serve 16,000 this summer alone.
The meals are paid for by a federal summer nutrition program and prepared in the Downtown Campus kitchen. A typical lunch includes a sandwich or wrap, fresh vegetables, fruit and milk.
Many of the children who come to the sites are regulars. Staff say about 300 children eat at the sites on a typical day, with the busiest days during heat waves when families head to the parks.
When school ends, a lot of kids lose the only reliable meal they get all day. We have a kitchen and people who know how to cook. It's an easy decision.
Nutrition students on site
This year, 24 students from the nutrition program are working at the sites as part of a paid summer practicum. They run short activities for children, such as taste tests of new vegetables and a garden-to-table lesson with the Downtown Community Garden.
The program runs Monday through Friday until August 14, except July 3. Families can find site locations and weekly menus on the summer meals page.
The program also gives away bags of fresh produce to families on Fridays, supplied by the Downtown Campus Farmers Market vendors.
