Starting April 3, New Yorkers of all ages can access free meals from public schools, Mayor de Blasio announced on Thursday.
Schools will distribute three meals a day to anyone who needs them from 7:30 to 11:30 am for children, and from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm for adults.
“We know people are hurting, we don’t want anyone to go hungry in this city,” the mayor said. “Everyone who is hungry has a place to go to get food.”
In the weeks since the coronavirus has spread across New York devastating the economy, 450,000 additional unemployment claims have been filed, marking only the start of an economic downturn that experts warn will only worsen.
The city has been distributing free breakfast and lunch to children since the closure of public schools due to the coronavirus outbreak on March 15. Since then, over 100,000 meals have been distributed to children, with the number of meals spiking and dropping often dependent on the weather, The City reported.
The meals are offered “grab and go” style, with all three available in the morning to take home.
435 sites across the five boroughs will be participating in the program. Those looking to find their nearest site can text “Food” to 877-877 or “Comida” for instructions in Spanish.
