Summer Meals Program launches to feed thousands of kids in Milwaukee while school is out

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The summer meals program kicked off Thursday, June 16 across Milwaukee County. 

If your local park has a bright green and yellow "Summer Meals" sign, kids can stop and eat. 

The meals help many families who usually rely on school for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Anyone under 18-years-old is encouraged to visit one of the 115 locations for a free meal.

More than 600,000 kids take advantage of the program every year. 

For the last two years, meals were handed out to-go, as kids were encouraged to social distance. This year the program is being called Meet Up and Eat Up, because kids will need to stay at the park and eat their lunch. 

"It's really about the whole child," said Shahree Douglas, the communications manager for Hunger Task Force. "Ensuring that they are fed, but also getting exercise and daily activity, so they'll get both of those coming to the Meet Up and Eat Up summer meal sites." 

Milwaukee Public Schools and other community organizations have partnered with the Hunger Task Force to make sure kids are fed throughout the summer months. 

Here are the 115 locations.