Met Council’s Gift to Brooklyn Kids: Free Lunch!

Thousands of lucky kids in Borough Park are getting free lunches this week, thanks to the non-profit organization Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, which is distributing free box meals on a busy street corner in the neighborhood.

And in a nod to the neighborhood’s predominantly Jewish population, the meals are kosher.

The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, known as the Met Council, is also distributing free lunches in Williamsburg.

The food giveaway is taking place from Monday, Aug. 20 to Thursday, Aug. 23.

The meals, which are catered by Lou G. Siegel, are served from a food truck parked outside Gravesend Park at 18th Avenue and 56th Street in Borough Park from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Williamsburg youngsters pick up their free lunches from a food truck parked outside Middleton Playground on Middleton Street between Bedford and Lee avenues. The boxed lunches are served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The CEO of the Met Council is former City Councilmember David Greenfield.

“Met Council is proud to have the only free kosher summer lunch program for kids in New York. We give out free kosher lunches during the week between when camp ends and yeshiva begins to ensure that all children have access to nutritious meals,” Greenfield said in a statement.

Greenfield, who represented Borough Park when he was on the City Council, is urging parents to take advantage of the free food distribution. “There’s no catch, just show up with your child and get a free kosher lunch for every kid that’s there,” he stated

The Met Council is also planning a fun day of activities, including games and prizes, for children at Gravesend Park on Wednesday, Aug. 22.

The organization is working with Borough Park Jewish Community Council and the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg on the free lunch program.

“Our community partners are invaluable to this effort. They have built a strong bond with the community and work tirelessly to make sure everyone in the community knows about this great program,” Greenfield said.

Council Members Kalman Yeger, a Democrat who represents Borough Park, and Stephen Levin, a Democrat representing Williamsburg and other neighborhoods in North Brooklyn, also assisted in the effort, Greenfield said.

The Met Council runs North America’s largest kosher food program, distributing food to over 200,000 people in need in the metropolitan area. During Passover, the organization gives away food to enable low-income residents prepare to holiday meals.