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Baltimore Offering Free Meals This Summer For City Youth

BALTIMORE (WJZ) --Baltimore is promising to keep city youth healthy with a summer commitment to serve more than one million meals.

Many students rely on the meals they get at school, but during the summer months, they lose access to this vital program. The city is helping young people most at risk.

Baltimore's youth helped the mayor kick off the summer meals program -- a vital service providing breakfast and lunch to those in need.

"Our children in our city will not go hungry and will be given fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and a good meal," Baltimore City Mayor Catherine Pugh said.

The mayor's office is teaming up with local agencies and food vendors to offer more than one million healthy meals to children who depend on them throughout the school year and lose access during the summer months.

"It's important for Baltimore, in part, because over 28 percent of our young children live in food desert areas with limited access to fresh food and vegetables, and the fuel you need to grow strong," said Alice Kennedy with Baltimore Housing and Community Development.

Several Baltimore City fire department stations are also helping out, serving lunch to children at their firehouses on Fridays during the summer.

"Extremely important intiative for the fire department, for me in particular, so we can develop a greater relationship with the young people in the community we serve," Baltimore City Fire Chief Niles Ford said.

It's a citywide committment to ensure no child goes hungry in baltimore..

To find a meal site in Maryland, click here.

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