By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor SPRINGFIELD For many of Springfield's children, participation in the summer food program isn't just a choice -- it is essential. At a press event at the Kiley Middle School last week noting a $24,000 grant given by Project Bread to the city, Bel Winegar of Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts explained that at-need parents are given a set amount of food stamps. During the school year, children are given both breakfast and lunch. But in the summer, parents may not have enough food stamps to pay for those meals normally supplied at school, she said. "The money doesn't go that far," she added. "This [summer food program] is a critical resource for city families," Christina Jordan of Project Bread said. In October of last year, the state's Department of Education announced that 76.8 percent of Springfield children enrolled in public school are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. Only 40 percent of those eligible children were participating in the school breakfast program. According to statistics supplied by Project Bread, Last year an average of 3,890 children participated in the summer food program in the city. When compared to the number of children eligible for the free to reduced price school meals, there appears to be 17,590 additional children who would be taking advantage of the summer program. A collaboration between the School Department, the Springfield Girls Club Family Center and the Episcopal Diocese of West ern Massachusetts, the summer food program has been providing meals for children at 48 sites throughout the city. Some of those locations are still open (see list below) and children 18 years of age and younger can enjoy a meal with no registration or identification required. The program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and administered by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Some of the sites are participating in a pilot program sponsored by Project Bread that feature fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low fat dairy products in menus developed with the Harvard School of Public Health. Several sites in Springfield are also serving locally grown produce as part of Project Bread's Locally Grown Foods Initiative. The $24,000 grant was used to fund these two programs. The following is a list of food sites that are still serving meals. For more information on the program call 1-800-645-8333. Dream Inc. 1500 Main St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Breakfast: 8:30 -- 9:30 a.m. Lunch: 12:30 -- 1:30 p.m. Adams Park Wilbraham Rd. & Norfolk St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Afternoon snack: 3- 4 p.m. Supper: 6 -- 7 p.m. Forest Park Boys & Girls Club 361 Sumner Ave. Meals provided through Aug. 29 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 11:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. Emily Bill Park Franklin St. Meals provided through Aug. 22 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 11:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. Emerson Wright Park Marble St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 11:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. Edgewater & Pynchon Apartments 101 Lowell St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Breakfast: 9 -- 10 a.m. Lunch: Noon -- 1 p.m. Hubbard Park Parker St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Breakfast: 8:30 -- 9:30 a.m. Lunch: 12:30 -- 2 p.m. DeBerry School 670 Union St. Meals provided through Aug. 22 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 11:15 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. Colonial Estates Boys & Girls Club One Beacon Circle Meals provided through Aug. 29 Monday -- Friday Lunch: Noon -- 1 p.m. Christ Church Cathedral 35 Chestnut St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: Noon -- 12:30 p.m. Chestnut Park 68 Harrison Ave. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: Noon -- 12:30 p.m. Afternoon snack: 3 -- 3:30 p.m. Calhoun Park Dwight St & Jefferson Ave. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: Noon -- 1:30 p.m. Barrows Playground Tyler/Walnut St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: Noon -- 1:30 p.m. Afternoon snack: 3 -- 3:45 p.m. Dunbar Community Center 33 Oak St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 11:15 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. Afternoon snack: 2:15 -- 3:15 p.m. Ulloa Playground Dwight/Morgan St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 11:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. Springfield Girls Club Family Center 100 Acorn St. Meals provided through Aug. 29 Monday -- Friday Supper: 7:30 -- 8:30 p.m. Springfield Boys Club 481 Carew St. Meals provided through Aug. 22 Monday -- Friday Lunch: Noon -- 1 p.m. Spring Meadow Apartments 176 Canon Cir. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: Noon -- 1 p.m. Afternoon snack: 3 -- 3:30 p.m. Riverview Apartments 82 Division St., Court Meals provided through Aug. 29 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 12:15 -- 1:15 p.m. Rebecca Johnson School 55 Catherine St. Meals provided through Aug. 22 Monday -- Friday Breakfast: 8 -- 9:30 a.m. Lunch: 11:30 a.m. -- 1 p.m. Margaret C. Ells School 319 Cortland St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 11:15 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. Magazine Playground St. James Ave. & Bowdoin St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 11:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. Afternoon snack: 2:30 -- 3 p.m. Liberty School 962 Carew St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Breakfast: 8:30 -- 9:30 a.m. Lunch: 11:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. Johnny Appleseed Park Orange/Hancock/Mill St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 11:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. J.C. Williams Community Center 116 Florence St. Meals provided through Aug. 15 Monday -- Friday Lunch: Noon -- 1 p.m. Reed Village 49 Lionel Benoit Rd. Meals provided through Aug. 29 Monday -- Friday Lunch: 11:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. |