Metro Action Prepares to Provide Free Meals to Community Partners for Youth

The Metropolitan Action Commission (MAC) has recruited more than 60 community partners to serve as meal sites for Nashville and Davidson County Youth this summer.

During the months of June and July, MAC provides free breakfast and lunch meals to youth programs and other gathering spots where youth are present such as apartment properties, day camps, religious based programs, community centers and sports camps.

The Metropolitan Action Commission (MAC) has the capacity to provide meals to approximately 110 community locations that provide safe spaces for youth to gather in the summertime.

“With summer right around the corner, it’s time to think about how children who receive free or reduced-priced meals at school will eat healthy while school is out,” said Marvin Cox, program director of the MAC Community Outreach Division.

To qualify, the meal site must serve youth or be located near schools that participate in the Free and Reduced Lunch program during the school year. This priority allows children who would ordinarily receive free meals at school to continue to have access to meals during the summer when school is out.

To apply as a summer site or for more information, youth leaders can visit the agency’s website (nashville.gov/mac) and click on “Get Free Summer Meals for Youth” or visit the agency’s main office (1281 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville).

Training will be provided in May for new and existing youth programs as well as ongoing monitoring to support the program. The summer meal program begins on June 2 and ends July 25.

Metro Action urges programs not already signed up as a meal site to submit their application by Friday, May 2.

For more information about the agency’s summer food program call 615-862-8860, Extension 70120.