Hungry kids can snag free lunches at 10 Tacoma parks this summer. Here’s where to go
Tacoma kids will be able to receive free lunches across 10 different parks this summer.
The 10-week Summer Playground and Lunch Program by Metro Parks will offer sack lunches every weekday starting Monday, June 24, according to a news release. Meals and activities are available for people 18 and younger.
The program extends until Aug. 30 with a break for the Fourth of July.
Lunches will be served from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and typically include hoagie-roll or wheat-bread sandwiches, fruit and milk, per the release.
Nearly 1 in 5 of Tacoma Public Schools families have said they are food insecure, according to a 2016 report from the county’s health department. Some parents are left in a bind during the summer if their kids normally rely on campuses for lunch and breakfast.
Many Metro Parks locations feature spraygrounds and play equipment. The parks department worked with Tacoma Public Schools to pinpoint the parts of the city with the most students enrolled in reduced- and free-lunch programs.
On-site programming, including field games and craft projects, will be offered at six locations from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., according to the news release. That said, activities at the playgrounds hinge on staffing and might not be held at every location.
The lunch and playground-program parks are:
Manitou Park, 4408 American Lake Blvd.
Franklin Park, 1201 S. Puget Sound Ave.
South Park, 4851 S. Tacoma Way
Northeast Tacoma Playground, 5520 29th St. NE
Wright Park, 501 S. I St.
Verlo Playfield, 4321 McKinley Ave.
Only lunch will be offered at these sites:
Salishan Family Investment Center, 1724 E. 44th St.
Roosevelt Park, 3601 E. Roosevelt Ave.
Wapato Park, 6500 S. Sheridan Ave.
Titlow Park, 8425 6th Ave.
