Join us for Summer Meal Meet-Ups!
Summer Meal Meet-Ups, a program offering free meals to kids throughout the summer, invites anyone ages 18 and under to one of the many meal sites in Iowa to receive free and nutritious meals.
Central Iowa Shelter & Services' sites will start Friday, June 6th and run every week during the summer Monday-Friday at various times and locations.
More than 40,000 students in central Iowa qualify for free or reduced-price meals, but approximately 3,000 children take advantage of free meals during the summer. With the COVID-19 pandemic, its anticipated that this number has grown.
Meal sites are located at schools, parks, or other organizations, and site sponsors – or hosts – are approved by the Iowa Department of Education and will offer grab-and-go meals, as many school districts offered earlier this year. Anyone up to age 18 can receive a free meal. No registration or sign up is required. Children do not need to be present due to new USDA guidance. Unlike in years past, activities will not be offered nor will kids congregate at meal sites.
Our Sites:
South Side Library: Located at 1111 Porter Ave. from 12 PM – 2 PM
McHenry Park: Located at 1012 Oak Park Ave. from 11 AM – 1 PM. This location also has a splash pad.
Edna Griffin Park: Located at 1613 13th Street from 4 PM – 6 PM
Bates Park: 330 Clark St. from 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM. This location has a splash pad, basketball court, and redesigned playground for all ages and needs.
To find a meal site near you, go to www.summermealsia.org, call 211, or text “Food” or “Comida” to 877-877. Services are available in English and Spanish.
Central Iowa Shelter & Services is an equal opportunity provider.
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email:
program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
