Summer Eats, the Massachusetts Summer Food Service Program, is kicking off across the Commonwealth this summer, providing free meals to all kids and teens ages 18 and under. In 2025, nearly 3 million meals were served at more than 1,500 sites statewide. During Summer Eats Awareness Week, July 6-10, Project Bread is encouraging community members to help spread the word about the program, with free promotional materials available online.
Throughout the school year, children in Massachusetts rely on free school meals to meet most of their daily nutrition needs. Summer Eats closes the gap when the school year ends, helping to ensure children and teens continue to grow, learn and thrive during school vacation. On an average day in July 2025, more than 73,000 kids ate at least one Summer Eats meal.
Participating meal providers operate and staff meal sites, often in conjunction with activities and educational programming at schools, libraries, local park and recreation areas, and more. Kids and teens are required to eat onsite at most Summer Eats sites. Grab & Go meals are available in select rural communities. All are welcome. No registration or ID is required.
Families may also be eligible for SUN Bucks (Summer EBT), a separate federal food benefit that provides $120 per eligible school-age child to spend on groceries during the summer.
For more than 20 years, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and statewide food security nonprofit Project Bread have partnered to support communities in offering Summer Eats meals to children in Massachusetts. Throughout the school year, the nonprofit and DESE also partner to expand access to and participation in school meal programs. This year, Project Bread has granted more than $240,000 to Summer Eats sponsors statewide for equipment, staffing, and outreach and promotion efforts.
“Summer is a time for kids to play, explore, and recharge. But for many families across Massachusetts, it also means worrying about how to put food on the table,” says Erin McAleer, President and CEO of Project Bread. “Summer Eats exists so that every child has a meal – whether it be at a local park, a library, or school, the program is there for all kids and teens: no cost, no registration, no one left behind.”
For more information about Summer Eats, including meal site locations, visit projectbread.org/summer-eats, text FOOD or COMIDA to 304-304, or call 1-800-645-8333 for help in any language. A personal contribution to support Summer Eats can be made at www.projectbread.org/donate.
Project Bread is the leading statewide food security organization in Massachusetts. Beginning in 1969 with the first Walk for Hunger, the nonprofit focuses on driving systemic change to ensure people of all ages have reliable access to healthy food. Project Bread works collaboratively across sectors to create innovative solutions to end hunger and improve lives across the Commonwealth. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.