Indy Parks Kicks Off Free Summer Lunch For Kids

Indy Parks hosted a Summer Servings kick off Wednseday. The program aims to feed kids who rely on school lunches during the year, and serves close to 200,000 meals to children and teens. 

At the Summer Servings event in Riverside Park, local kids and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett ate lunch together. But nearly 50,000 Indianapolis children face food insecurity, Hogsett says. 

"In the summertime kids have the right to be kids, and they shouldn't have to worry about where their next meal's coming from," says Hogsett. 

The program is funded by the USDA and administered through the Indiana Department of Education. The city of Indianapolis, Indy Parks, Indianapolis Public Schools, other Marion County township school districts and local organizations also partner with the program to provide nearly 100 program sites across Indianapolis.

City County-Council President Vop Osili says he believes the program "represents the best of what Indianapolis really is all about."

"What could speak more directly to what we are all about than feeding our community's children?" Osili says.

The program is open to any child under the age of 18 with no other requirements for entry.