Free Summer Meals for Kids 18 and Under Living in Hartford

The Community Renewal Team (CRT) is pleased to announce that it will once again administer a free Summer Food Service Program for children 18 years and under living in both Hartford and Middlesex Counties. This important program provides free breakfast and/or lunches to students during the critical summer months when school is not in session.

“When school is out for the summer, children really need access to healthy, tasty breakfasts and lunches to supplement their daily nutritional needs,” said Gariann Chiarella, Director of Nutrition for CRT. “We are proud to once again be a part of this vital program that helps to prevent childhood hunger here in Central Connecticut. CRT has been a part of this annual program for over the past 20 years.”

In 2016, more than 193,000 students across Connecticut came from families that qualified for free or reduced-price school meals. That is an increase of more than 28,000 students across the state over the previous year.

During the 2016-2017 school year, 71.4% of the children in Hartford’s school district were eligible to receive free or reduced-price school lunches. Providing continued access to nutritious meals throughout the summer months while school is not in session helps to ensure that children do not go hungry, and they have meals they need to ensure proper physical and mental development.

To qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, a child’s family must earn less than 185 percent of what the federal government has determined is the poverty threshold. In 2016, for a single mother that was less than $30,000 for reduced-price meals or about $21,000 for free meals.

For the program that CRT will administer this summer, more than 1,300 breakfasts per day will be served, and more than 1,900 lunches per day will be served.

An example of a proposed breakfast and lunch menu is available for reference purposes. Many of the summer food service programs will begin as soon as the 2018 school year ends, and run through mid to late August.
CRT’s Summer Food Service Program will be offered in the following cities and towns: East Hartford, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Hartford, Middletown, Portland, and Windsor Locks.

Please refer to the “Free Summer Food” page on CRT’s website for a complete list of locations where summer meals for children 18 years and under will be served free of charge.

People interested in receiving more information about participation in the free Summer Food Service Program for children should contact:
Community Renewal Team
555 Windsor Street, Hartford, CT 06120
Phone: 860-560-5634 or Email: info@crtct.org