The City of Atlanta announces the launch of the annual Summer Food Program. This is a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Human Services and Bright from the Start: Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning, offering free meals to underserved children and teens during the summer months while schools are closed. Each summer, the program serves an average of 8,703 meals daily to children in the Atlanta community, totaling more than 249,313 meals to be served by the end of the summer. The program begins today, June 4th and will end July 27th.

“Many of our children go hungry during the summer months when school-provided lunches are unavailable,” said Mayor Bottoms. “The Summer Food Program provides low-income families a hand up, ensuring our most vulnerable children will receive a healthy meal.”

The Summer Food Program includes a Mobile Feeding Bus that travels throughout the City to provide meals to children at 12 libraries and five apartment complexes.  This mobile service will help provide as many as 5,000 additional meals this summer.

The City of Atlanta has partnered with Bright from the Start to organize the Summer Food Program since 1975. Meals will be provided to churches, recreation centers, camps and non-profit organizations. This summer, the United States Department of Agriculture plans to serve more than 200 million free meals to children 18 years and under at approved Summer Food Program sites.

For more information on the Summer Food Program call (404) 546-3069.