
The PHA Summer Food Service Program offers
breakfast and lunch in addition to comprehensive summer youth
enrichment activities at 13 locations, running until Friday, August
14th. Shown here, a group of young women enjoy their lunch
and socializing at the John F. Street Community Center in North
Philadelphia.
Healthy Eating is
Especially Important during the Health
Emergency
(Philadelphia, PA - June 15,
2020) - The Philadelphia Housing Authority's (PHA) school
age residents and those in surrounding neighborhoods will have
access to healthy breakfasts and lunches this summer, despite the
disruptions caused by the national health emergency.
"Access to good, nutritional meals is critical to the
overall development of young people in addition to maintaining
their health during this crisis," said PHA President and CEO Kelvin
A. Jeremiah. "Many families in Philadelphia need access to
food because of City's high poverty rate and the additional
challenges of the pandemic."
The PHA Summer Food Service Program will offer those meals from
now until Friday, August 14th. Hours of operation are Monday thru
Friday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Youth ages 3 to 18 from public
housing sites and the surrounding neighborhoods will pick up an
estimated 25,000 meals. This year is a grab and go model to adhere
to the social distancing. The program also provides 25 part-time
jobs forPHA residents and local residents this year.
The following sites will have the
program: Abbottsford Homes, Bartram Village,
Cambridge/Richard Allen, Fairhill Apartments, Harrison Plaza,
Johnson Homes, Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center, Norris
Apartments, Oxford Village, Raymond Rosen, Spring Garden, West Park
Apartments, and Wilson Park.
PHA is partnering with CBS Kosher
Foods to offer the Summer Food program this year, greatly reducing
the agency's costs.
Children who do not live near a participating PHA site can still
go to a neighboring site or one of 150 sites operated by the City's
Department of Parks and Recreation, which will offer similar
meals.
Residents, including those who were formerly served at sites that
are not hosting the program this summer, can go online to the USDA
website at www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks to locate the Summer
Food locations closest to them. Residents can also look for the
site nearest to them at
www.phila.gov/youthprograms/meals/Pages/default.aspx,
www.hungercoalition.org/summermeals, or by texting "FOOD" or
"MEALPA" to 877-877, or calling 1-855-252-MEAL. For more
information about participating in PHA's Summer Food Service
Program, call 215-684-3959.
SFSP is a reimbursement-based grant program funded by the United
States Department of Agriculture, through Pennsylvania's Department
of Education. The intent of this program is to provide free
breakfast, lunch, and/or snacks to children 18-years-old and under.
For more information about participating in PHA's Summer Food
Service Program, call 215-684-3959.