Free meals for kids at Harbor Highlands YMCA

DULUTH, Minn. — The YMCA has free meals for kids eighteen years and younger as part of the Summer Food Service Program.

Kids don’t need to be a YMCA member or meet any family income requirements.

Lunches are available from 1 to 2 pm with a snack provided from 4 to 4:30.

They can just show up, get a free meal, and join in on summer programming at the Harbor Highlands location.

This program helps fill in the gap over the summer that school typically provides.

“We just want to ensure that we are supporting families and kids. And really, I think families will say, right now, it is hard, it’s hard to feed their families. Everything’s costing more money for everyone, and so we are able to provide a little extra to these families, so it’s one less meal that they have to think about at home so they can stretch their dollars a little further.” said Melissa Fanning, Branch Executive Director for Community Services.

In addition, at the YMCA Essentia Wellness Center in Hermantown, there are grab and go meal kits for families facing food insecurity.

That is not sponsored by the Summer Food Service Program.

But it is available to youths and adults Thursdays from 4 to 5:30 PM.