School is out for the summer, but there’s no need to take a vacation from nutrition and physical fitness. Explore the many options in Boston where residents can find fresh and affordable produce and join their neighbors for a fun walk around their communities.
Boston Bounty Bucks
Through an initiative funded by the Mayor’s Fresh Food Fund, Project Bread, Farm Aid, and The Wholesome Wave Foundation, and coordinated by the Food Project, neighborhood farmers’ markets are excited to give customers who participate in the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) another reason to shop at their local farmers’ markets: the Boston Bounty Bucks Program. 
Launched last year, this program provides a dollar for dollar match up to $10 for purchases of fruits and vegetables made with an EBT card at participating Boston Farmers’ Markets. You can get $20 worth of the fresh, tasty fruit and vegetables by spending $10 from your monthly SNAP benefits.
This year, the program has expanded to include fourteen markets throughout the City of Boston where SNAP participants can take advantage of the Boston Bounty Bucks Program. The markets are in a wide range of neighborhoods and cover every day of the week with the exception of Wednesdays. Whatever market you shop at, you will find a bounty of fresh, healthy, and delicious products for purchase, and you can support your local vendors. See a list of farmers’ markets near you. The implementation of Boston Bounty Bucks and technical assistance to farmers' markets is being coordinated by The Food Project, which promotes local, sustainable food systems.
For more information, contact:
Cammy Watts
Director of Community Programs
cwatts@thefoodproject.org
(781) 259-8621 x 28
Danielle Andrews
Market Manager
dandrews@thefoodproject.org
617-442-1322 x13
Summer Food Service Program
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is pleased to again provide free meals to children 18 and under at eligible locations in your community while school is out of session. Families can also enjoy a variety of free activities along with their meals. No registration or identification is necessary.
During the school year, many families stretch their food budget by applying for free or reduced price school meals for their children. Unfortunately, these families often find it difficult to absorb the additional meal costs when school is not in session. Their children may be at risk for hunger and malnutrition and are at a disadvantage when they return to school in September. By providing free, nutritious meals throughout the summer, the SFSP ensures that children have access to the food they need in order to return to school ready to learn.
For more information, please visit http://www.meals4kids.org/ or call the Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333. For an online map of all the site locations in your community, go to http://projectbread.hungermaps.org. Click on the link to view site locations, meal times, days of operation, and holiday closings.
NeighborWalk
The evidence is in - walking is good for you. While there may not be any magic bullet for health, research shows that taking a brisk 30 to 60 minute walk most days can help prevent or manage many health conditions. For the sixth straight year, NeighborWalk organizes local walking groups throughout Boston.
- All groups are free of charge and open to the public.
- Walks are scheduled weekly.
- Join a group for one walk or the whole season.
- Walks are 30 to 60 minutes and vary in length. The average walk is about 2 miles.
- Many groups offer health education and healthy refreshments.
- All regular walkers receive pedometers, tee-shirts, water bottles, and safety whistles.
For more information and a list of walking groups in your neighborhood, go to the Boston Public Health Commission’s NeighborWalk page or call Mary Jane Williams, wellness coordinator at 617-534-5685.