The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) will help needy children through the summer vacation with good food. The 2010 Summer Food Program began Monday, June 21st at 19 PHA sites across the city.
PHA Executive Director Carl Greene says, “This is needed now more than previous years because of the depressed economy. Many parents are out of work and providing a good breakfast and lunch, ensures that our children will not begin their day hungry.”
Under the Summer Food Program, all eligible children ages 18 and under are able to receive free breakfast and lunch from Monday, June 21st through Friday, August 20th. The program will operate Monday — Friday from 8AM to 2PM.
Carla Fleming, PHA Summer Food Program coordinator, anticipates increased participation in the program this year. The program provides young PHA residents and children from surrounding neighborhoods with the fundamentals, a good breakfast and lunch.
The Summer Food Program changed dramatically several years ago with a switch to a nutritious hot lunch menu that proved very popular with the kids. No processed meats are used in lunches, which feature veggies and fruit.
No needy children will go hungry if they do not live at a PHA site offering the program. They can go to a neighboring site to receive a good meal or PHA will refer them to a city Department of Recreation site that offers similar meals. This way parents and children don’t have to travel too far to take part in the program. Over 50,000 meals were provided to low-income children throughout the city last year.
The 19 sites for Summer 2010 are:
- Abbottsford
- Arch
- Batram
- Blumberg
- Cambridge (JF Street)
- Champlost
- Fairhill
- Haddington
- Harrison
- Hillcreek
- Johnson
- Morton
- Norris
- Oxford
- Queen Lane
- Raymond Rosen
- Spring Garden
- West Park
- Whitehall
A partnership between PHA, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), makes the program possible. People who want more information about participating in the program can contact Carla Fleming at (215) 684-3959.
Other youth activities planned for this summer include:
- PHAPD’s G.R.E.A.T Program – interactive activities for children that provide information and education on gang violence and other related topics.
- Youth Computer Seminars – fun and interactive training sessions for youth on computer skills
- Coventry Cares – Youth and Outreach activities
- Financial Literacy Classes for youth
- Boys and Girls Clubs – Summer Camp
- Summer Nutritional seminars
There would be no significant cost to PHA in having any of these programs. The program would initially be introduced to family sites where organized youth activities are and/or will be operating during the summer months.
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