Cambridge Summer Food Program


6/14/2023 • 10 months ago

Update (August 18, 2023):

August 21 through September 1, the Summer Food Program will provide breakfast and lunch meals at the following 5 locations: Louis A. DePasquale Playground (Danehy Park, 66 Field St.), Sennott Park (305 Broadway), Fresh Pond Apartments (362–364 Rindge Avenue), Donnelly Field (61 Willow St.), and Gold Star Mother’s Park (123 Gore St). Dinner meals will no longer be served. 

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Beginning Monday, June 26, the Cambridge Summer Food Program will offer free breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals every weekday to Cambridge children and youth ages 18 and under. Operated by the City of Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP), the Summer Food Program aims to increase food security for Cambridge families during the summer months by providing free, nutritious meals. Children and youth do not need to provide identification to receive a meal, and vegetarian options are available at every site.

In addition to serving meals to the public, the program provides lunch and breakfast to eligible summer camps and programs. Last year, the Summer Food Program served 32,346 breakfast meals and 29,604 lunch meals to Cambridge children and youth.

Breakfast and lunch meals will be available at parks throughout the city, where children and youth can also join Cambridge Recreation staff in fun games, crafts, and activities. The Summer Food Program partners with Cambridge Book Bike to bring story time and book exploration to a site each week. Free dinner meals will be provided at Recreation Summer Basketball League locations. Youth do not need to participate in the leagues in order to receive a meal.

Monday through Friday, breakfast meals will be served from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. and lunch meals will be served from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the following locations starting June 26:

  • Donnelly Field, 61 Willow St.
  • Fresh Pond Apartments Playground, 362–364 Rindge Ave.
  • Glacken Field, 635 Huron Ave.
  • Gold Star Mothers Park Playground, 123 Gore St.
  • Greene-Rose Heritage Park Playground, 155 Harvard St.
  • Hoyt Field Playground, 13 Gilmore St.
  • Louis A. DePasquale Playground, Danehy Park, 66 Field St.
  • Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. Park, 71 Rogers St.
  • Sennott Park, 310 Broadway

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    Dinner meals will be served during Cambridge Recreation Summer Basketball Leagues from 6 – 7:30 p.m. on the following weekdays at the following locations:

  • Donnelly Field, 61 Willow St.
          Monday and Wednesday starting June 26
  • Glacken Field, 661 Huron Ave
          Tuesday and Thursday starting June 27
  • Hoyt Field, 12 Gilmore St
          Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday starting July 5
  • Sennott Park, 310 Broadway
          Monday and Wednesday starting June 26

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    The Cambridge Summer Food Program also provides free snacks to families at “Screen on the Green” Summer Movie Nights.

    “The Summer Food Program ensures that there is no gap in food access for Cambridge children during summer break,” said Claudia Cruz, Summer Food Program Manager. “We’re proud to offer a multi-dimensional program that not only provides healthy meals to young people, but also invites them to have fun, learn, and enjoy our parks.”

    “Over the years, we have provided tens of thousands of free meals to children and youth in Cambridge, and each year we expand the program to best meet our community’s needs,” said Ellen Semonoff, Assistant City Manager of Human Services. “We look forward to another successful summer serving meals, encouraging fun, and building community.”

    The Summer Food Program will host a kickoff event, featuring games, prizes, and music, at Donnelly Field on Monday, June 26 from 10:30 – 1 p.m. For more information about the Summer Food Program, visit: www.cambridgema.gov/SummerFood