By Gus Saltonstall
Here are two programs providing free or affordable food on the Upper West Side this summer.
At the end of June, the New York City Department of Education’s Free Summer Meals Program began offering kids and young adults healthy breakfast and lunch options.
The program is available to children ages 18 and younger, and to all people with disabilities, regardless of age. “You can find these meals at specific places like select NYC Public Schools, community pool centers, parks, and libraries,” according to the DOT. “And guess what? You don’t need to sign up, show any papers, or have an ID to get these meals.”
The meals include: egg-and-cheese sandwiches, waffles, bagels, chickpea wraps, panini, chicken bites, and more.
Unfortunately, there is only one food pick-up site on the Upper West Side proper, but we’ve also included Morningside Heights options below.
Additionally, information on the Fresh Food for Seniors Program is provided below. This program offers seniors affordable options for locally grown produce delivered to the neighborhood.
The Free Summer Meals Program lasts until August 30, and the Fresh Food for Seniors Program runs through November 13.
Free Summer Meals Upper West Side Location
High School for Law, Advocacy and Community Justice: 122 Amsterdam Avenue (Near West 65th St.)
- Breakfast and lunch served Monday through Friday.
- Breakfast 8 to 9:15 a.m. Lunch 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Near the Upper West Side
Locke School of Arts and Engineering: 20 West 112th Street
- Breakfast and lunch served Monday through Friday.
- Breakfast 8 to 9:15 a.m. Lunch 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Wadleigh Secondary School: 215 West 114th Street
- Breakfast and lunch served Monday through Friday.
- Breakfast 8 to 9:15 a.m. Lunch 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
P.S. 149 Sojourner Truth: 41 West 117th Street
- Breakfast and lunch served Monday through Friday.
- Breakfast 8 to 9:15 a.m. Lunch 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Sheltering Arms Pool: West 129th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
- Lunch served Monday through Sunday.
- Lunch noon to 3 p.m.
Fresh Food for Seniors Program
This program allows seniors on the West Side to receive $15 worth of locally grown fruits and vegetables for $10, every two weeks.
There is no subscription needed, just a little planning.
The next available day to place an order is on July 10, which you would then pick up on July 24.
Here’s the full schedule:
- Place orders July 10 to pick up Wednesday, July 24
- Place orders July 24 to pick up Wednesday, August 7
- Place orders August 7 to pick up Wednesday, August 21
- Place orders August 21 to pick up Wednesday, Sept. 4
- Place orders Sept. 4 to pick up Wednesday, Sept. 18
- Place orders Sept. 18 to pick up Wednesday, Oct. 2
- Place orders Oct. 2 to pick up Wednesday, Oct. 16
- Place orders Oct. 16 to pick up Wednesday, Oct. 30
- Place orders Oct. 30 to pick up Wednesday, Nov. 13
The Upper West Side order and pick up locations are as following.
- Goddard Riverside Older Adult Center, 593 Columbus Avenue (88th Street): 1 to 3 p.m.
For the following sites, call for details on when they’re open.
- Bloomingdale Age in Place: 212-842-8831
- DOROT, 171 West 85th Street: 212-769-2850
- NCJW Council Lifetime Learning, 241 West 72nd Street: 212-687-5030
- Lincoln House Outreach, 303 West 66th Street: 212-875-8958
- Project FIND Clinton Older Adult Center, 530 West 55th Street: 212-757-2026
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Fresh Food For Seniors
It’s a great program but they always include vegetables that are not appropriate for diabetics. It would be great if they had a special bag just for diabetics otherwise we are excluded. But that’s par for the course at most places.
Thanks for spreading the word! I’d also like to add that Older Adult Centers across the UWS, including two Goddard Riverside locations (250 West 65th Street and 593 Columbus Ave) offer lunch 5 days a week, usually for a small suggested donation such as $2. Membership at Older Adult Centers is free for anyone 60 or older. More info here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dfta/services/older-adult-center.page
Fresh Food for Seniors is great in concept, but food is not chosen by seniors and is not much more than you’d buy for the same money at a local street vendor. More input from and respect for seniors on food choices, more value, too. Lots of waste and leftovers…
I think the website listing the meals for kids is missing some locations. I saw a signs near the entrance to local schools, maybe the one on 93rd street between Columbus and Amsterdam
I love the Fresh Food for Seniors. You get a bag of really fresh vegetables and some fruit in one large bag for just $10.00. And with Recipes! Sometimes there are vegetables that I have never bought but with the attached recipe I am opened up to new ideas.
Fresh Food For Seniors was great the first few years we did it, and it did get us eating a lot more produce than before, but last year was pretty disappointing.
First of all, a lot of the produce was rotten by the next day.
Second, the choice of produce wasn’t great, like farms were just getting rid of excess unwanted things. I think we got big bunches of red radishes in least five of the bags. Who eats that many red radishes? They’re more of a garnish than anything else. Also, the lettuce heads were tiny – about the size of my hand.
Please give oversight of this program to someone who understands and cares about seniors. It’s a great idea, but the bags need improvement.
The produce was smaller and didn’t last as long as what you might buy at the store because it was probably locally grown/organic and not sprayed with preservatives or grown with chemicals to make them gigantic.
Re: radishes — you can also use/eat the greens; make a spicy pesto, or mix with other greens for a salad.
Anna, braise the radishes in butter. It totally transforms the flavor . Don’t forget to saute the greens too
Oldie but Goodie, thanks. I think I tried that (I spent a lot of time last summer searching for radish recipes) but the spiciness was still too much for my stomach.
I should add that we didn’t sign up for the bags this year, so it’s possible last year’s problems have already been ironed out. I hope so, since it’s a great program for both seniors and local farms, and it deserves to be done well.
Reply to West Ender (still can’t use the reply function attached to the comment):
The produce rotted much faster and was significantly smaller than in previous years. It honestly seemed like a quality control issue because of the difference.
I don’t remember the produce being organic, either, at least it wasn’t listed as that.
In previous years there was a lot more variety as well. Last year’s selection really was inferior to the previous years’ bags.
A lot of seniors have sensitive digestion and spicy food can be a problem as you age. I can see those radishes being in one bag, but not five of them. There are so many other types of produce that could have been featured. At least they should have been different foods from the radish family, not the same red radishes over and over.