Summer Lunch
For fifteen years, the SICM free summer lunch program has helped hungry children here in Schenectady. Without this program, many kids would not have a regular midday meal throughout the summer. Lunches are served at locations specifically targeted to reach the largest number of hungry children. At most of SICM’s summer lunch sites, nearly 100% of the children qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. The NY State Education Department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture fund SICM’s summer lunch program by reimbursing SICM for each meal served. Lunch is available to youth 18 and under, and we expect to feed about 850 kids each day.
SICM serves food at several of the city’s parks, including Quackenbush Park, Jerry Burrell Park, Central Park, Hillhurst Park, Wallingford, Carrie Street and Steinmetz Park, which is a new sits this year. Lunch is also provided at two of the city’s municipal housing locations: Yates Village and Steinmetz Homes. The other sites include Faith United Methodist Church (Eastern & Brandywine), Trinity Lutheran Church (Central State Street cluster, Furman Street), and Friendship House (955 State Street). All sites are open to anyone age 18 and under, and there is no enrollment required.
This year, the program runs five days a week from June 27th- September 2nd, the entire duration of summer vacation. In case of rain, each site has a sheltered area. Last summer, over 32,000 meals were prepared and distributed. The food is a variety of hot lunches and cold lunches, following a menu which closely mirrors that of the meals children receive in school.
SICM is also working in conjunction with other programs running at sites during the summer that provide activities for children. For example, the Boys and Girls Club of Schenectady has a program at Quackenbush Park, and the YMCA runs a day program at Jerry Burrell Park. In addition, we are working in conjunction with the County SCORE Camp at Central Park.
