‘An inspiring example of what we can achieve’

LEOMINSTER — Project Bread and Congressman Jim McGovern  recently launched the 12th annual Summer Food Rocks Tour with stops at two Summer Eats meal sites in Central Mass.

According to a press release, Monday, July 6, marked the first day of Summer Eats Awareness Week and the day began with breakfast the Spanish American Center’s summer camp location in Leominster followed by a lunch at Unity Park in Turners Falls.

Summer Eats, the Massachusetts Summer Food Service Program, provides free meals to children and teens 18 and under at numerous sites across the commonwealth throughout the summer. In 2025, nearly three million meals were served at more than 1,500 sites statewide, with more than 73,000 kids eating at least one Summer Eats meal on an average day in July.

“People across the country are struggling to feed their families because of the rising cost of food and because the Big Ugly Bill made the largest cut to food assistance in history,” said McGovern, D-2nd Massachusetts Congressional District. “But programs like Summer Eats show us that a different future is possible — a future where every child has enough to eat and every family is supported, nourished, and empowered to make healthier decisions.”

For more than 20 years, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Project Bread have partnered to support meal providers offering Summer Eats to children across the state. All children and teens 18 and younger can eat at hundreds of sites statewide for free, with no registration or ID required, and another summer food resource is SUN Bucks, a federal summer EBT benefit providing additional grocery funding for low-income families with school-aged children.

This year, Project Bread — the state’s leading food security organization — granted more than $250,000 total to Summer Eats sponsors statewide, including the Spanish American Center and the Gill-Montague Regional School District in Turners Falls.

“Summer Eats provides an incredible opportunity to bring communities together and help take one thing off of families’ plates,” said Project Bread President and CEO Erin McAleer. “This is especially important right now, when 40 percent of Massachusetts’ households with children are facing food insecurity while navigating the rising costs of groceries, rent, and other necessities. When families — no matter their income level — can come to sites in their local park, library, or playground to enjoy a free, nutritious meal, it helps bridge that gap.

“What we saw in Leominster and Turners Falls happens all summer long in communities across the state,” she continued. “We are proud to lead on this work statewide and work with leaders like Congressman McGovern and the state and community partners who make it possible.”

McGovern and McAleer led the tour joined by DESE Assistant Director of Food & Nutrition Programs Kristina Webber, DESE Community Nutrition Programs Coordinator Shannon Walsh, state Rep. Natalie Higgins, D-Leominster, SAC Executive Director Neddy Latimer, SAC St. Cecilia Church Site Supervisor Donata Martin, and representatives from the Gill-Montague Regional School District.

The Spanish American Center hosted McGovern and the group at St. Cecilia’s Parish on Mechanic Street in Leominster, which houses their summer camp program Verano Alegre. Kids and teens enjoyed a breakfast of scrambled eggs and French toast while the congressman spoke with them about his role in government and the importance of anti-hunger programs such as Summer Eats, noting that last year the program served nearly 26,000 meals.

“I was so grateful to join Project Bread, the Spanish American Center, and the Gill-Montague School District to spread the word about Summer Eats and the incredible free meals for kids and teens offered at locations across Massachusetts,” McGovern relayed. “Summer Eats is an inspiring example of what we can achieve when we come together to make sure that nobody goes hungry in America.”

The Spanish American Center hosts three Summer Eats meal sites open to the community throughout the summer in Leominster — at their headquarters at 112. Spruce St. Monday through Friday, with breakfast served from 9 to 10 a.m. and lunch from noon to 1 p.m.; Fournier Park at 525 Litchfield St. Monday through Friday with lunch served from noon to 1 p.m.; and breakfast from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and lunch from noon to 1 p.m. at Riverside Village Apartments on State Street.

There are additional Summer Eats sites in Leominster as well as at several locations in Fitchburg including the MOC Youth Innovation Center at 18 Fairmount St., the Green Street playground at 55 North St., and Park Hill Park at 225 Pratt Road, to name just a few. For more information and a map of all the sites visit projectbread.org/summer-eats-program, text FOOD or COMIDA to 304-304, or call 800-645-8333 for assistance in any language.