Healthy eating is as important as ever as the recovery begins
The Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (PHA) school age residents and those in surrounding neighborhoods will have access to healthy breakfasts and lunches this summer, as the pandemic recovery continues.
“Access to good, nutritional hot 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 [the]City’s high poverty rate and the additional challenges we continue to face as a result of the pandemic.”
The PHA Summer Food Service Program began offering those meals on July 1, and will continue the program until August 27. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The program, which is being managed and run by the PHA, is open to both youth in public housing and in the community. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide partial reimbursement to PHA.
This year, the following PHA sites are participating in the program: Abbottsford Homes, Bartram Village, Cambridge/Richard Allen, Harrison Plaza, Johnson Homes, , Norris Apartments, Raymond Rosen, Spring Garden, West Park Apartments, Whitehall Apartments and Wilson Park.
Children who do not live near a participating PHA site can still go to a neighboring site or one of sites operated by the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation, who are offering 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: http://www.hungercoalition.org/summermeals/map or call the coalition’s hotline at: 1-855-252-MEAL. 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 snacks to children 18-years-old and under. For more information about participating in PHA’s Summer Food Service Program, call: (215) 684-3959.
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