Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (NDS) will join the Mayor’s Office of Education, the School District of Philadelphia, Fun Safe Philly Summer, the Coalition Against Hunger, the American Dairy Association, and the city of Philadelphia’s Parks and Recreation to celebrate the commencement of the 2019 Summer Meals Program in Philadelphia.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Lawncrest Recreation Center
6000 Rising Sun Avenue, Comly Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
NDS seeks to provide nutritional meals to children in need throughout the summer months. This year, NDS will once again sponsor the Summer Meals Program to ensure that children across the city have access to wholesome, nourishing meals at no cost.
The Summer Meals Program is federally funded and operated nationally by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In our region, it is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Thus far, summer meals sites located throughout the five-county metropolitan area have partnered with NDS to provide children aged 18 years or younger a box lunch and choice of breakfast or snack. Meals include whole grains, low-fat milk, protein-rich foods, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. In addition, all meals follow federal guidelines for nutrition, and lunches provide 1/3 of a child’s daily nutritional requirements.
Brooke Mullen, Assistant Director of Community Relations for NDS said, “NDS is thrilled to collaborate with several organizations again this summer to fight childhood hunger in the Philadelphia region. The reality is, hunger does not take a break during the summer months. The collaborative kick off is a great way to bring many organizations together to spread the word about the availability of meals for all children throughout the city.”
In 2018, NDS’ Summer Meals Program served approximately 385 sites throughout the greater Philadelphia area and provided over 750,000 meals including breakfasts, snacks, lunches, and dinner to children who otherwise would have struggled to obtain nutritious food from other sources.
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Editor’s Note: To sign up for the Summer Meals Program or for more information on Nutritional Development Services, please the NDS Summer Meals Hotline at 215-895-3470 option 1.
For more information about NDS, please visit https://nutritionaldevelopmentservices.org/