Utica, N.Y. — A free summer lunch program running through Aug. 22, organized by the Utica City School District Board of Education and supported by Hope Chapel AME Zion Church and by Munson, has returned for the 5th year.
The program provides a free, nutritious lunch of a sandwich, fruit, vegetable, and milk. Meals will be available from noon to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the Munson Museum of Art parking lot at 1207 State St. as well as many locations across the city
Free craft kits provided by Munson accompany lunches on Tuesdays at the Munson location and at Hope Chapel.
The summer lunch program has been running at Munson since 2020. Rev. Sharon Baugh, pastor of Hope Chapel AME Zion Church and Munson Trustee, said the program provides meals to Utica children who may go without lunch when school is not in session. Munson was chosen as the distribution location as an opportunity to expose children to the arts.
“Art fosters the kind of creativity that allows kids to imagine a better future beyond their current reality,” Baugh said. “It’s important to have a cultural foundation.”
Munson President and CEO Anna D’Ambrosio said Munson appreciates the partnership and is pleased to provide the free art kits.
“We always want our local community to feel welcome at Munson,” D’Ambrosio said. “This is one way to bring younger people to campus and help build a connection to the arts, while providing a healthy meal.”
For more information on the Utica School District lunch program and for a daily menu, visit uticaschools.org/summer-
For media inquiries or more information, please contact Katie Voce, communications manager, at 315-797-0000 ext. 2147 or via email at kvoce@munson.art.
Munson is at 310 Genesee St. in Utica. For more information, visit munson.art.
About Munson
Munson is an internationally recognized fine arts organization in Utica, serving diverse audiences through a renowned Museum of Art, live performances and events, community arts classes, and Pratt Munson College of Art and Design, the upstate extension campus of the prestigious Pratt Institute
