For many NYC families, the summertime can mean higher grocery bills as school meals disappear. This year, free meal programs may be even harder to find as the federal government moves ahead with historic cuts to SNAP, the nation’s largest food assistance program.
NYC Public Schools operates a citywide Free Summer Meals program, which includes breakfast and lunch for people aged 18 and under, at select public schools, parks, pool centers, and other sites across the boroughs.
Through a partnership with Queens Public Library, kids and teens can also get free meals at 48 out of 66 branches.
Here’s what to know:
Who is eligible: Anyone 18 and younger
Registration: None required
When: June 29 through Sept. 4, Monday through Friday, 1 to 2 p.m.
Exceptions: Meals will be unavailable on Friday, July 3, as QPL locations are closed for the holiday weekend.
Note: Meals must be eaten on site.
Participating libraries include:
Western Queens: Broadway (Astoria), Steinway, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Maspeth, Ridgewood
Central Queens: Corona, Langston Hughes, Forest Hills, North Forest Park, Glendale, Briarwood, Fresh Meadows, Pomonok, Auburndale, Bayside, Bay Terrace, Whitestone, Poppenhusen, Mitchell-Linden, McGoldrick, Flushing, East Flushing
Southeast Queens: Jamaica (Central Library Discovery Center and South Jamaica), South Hollis, Queens Village, Laurelton, Rosedale, Cambria Heights, Bellerose, Glen Oaks, Lefferts, South Ozone Park, Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Windsor Park
The Rockaways: Arverne, Far Rockaway, Peninsula, Seaside, Broad Channel
Check out the full list of participating libraries.
Don’t see a library near you? Call 311 or use the city’s Summer Meals locator to find another free meal site.
