The Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) will continue serving free meals to all children 18 and under through Friday, August 21. Since schools closed on March 17, MPS Culinary & Wellness Services (CWS) has served more than 2 million free meals — Monday-Friday, rain or shine — to youth across Minneapolis through weekly food boxes.
Each food box stays true to the MPS CWS mission — to nurture all children with access to quality food and active living. The free food boxes include items for seven breakfasts and seven lunches and are filled with fresh produce and true food ingredients that meet the district’s high bar for nutrition.
MPS CWS’s “True Food” philosophy means food is made with fresh, whole ingredients that support the wellbeing of students, the community and the environment. It means nutrient-rich food ,free from high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial colors and flavors.
Though the way MPS CWS prepares food has quickly shifted in the pandemic, the commitment to True Food remains steadfast. Some recent offerings from the free food boxes for children include tamales, Ferndale turkey burgers, whole grain French toast, melon, sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes.
Families can pick-up food boxes at 50 schools and parks across Minneapolis, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To keep families and staff safe, sites offer contact-free pick-up. All youth are invited to participate in this program and do not need to be enrolled in MPS to receive food boxes. Youth, parents or siblings can pick up one box per week for each child in their family.
Find the nearest Northside food pick-up locations at cws.mpls.k12.mn.us/covid19.