If you or a family you know is living in Puget Sound and experiencing food insecurity, the City of Seattle, Metro Parks Tacoma, other cities, local nonprofits and a whole lot of volunteers want to help. To find a summer meal program and distribution site year you, go to United Way Free Summer Meals finder and put in your zip code and email. If you live in Seattle or Tacoma, here’s the scoop where to find meals and snacks your kids will love, for free.
Seattle meals for kids
More than 18,000 children and youth in Seattle qualify for free or reduced meals, and 1 in 6 are food insecure. This summer kids ages 1 to 18 can receive up to two meals or one meal and one snack per day through the city’s Summer Food Service Program. Meals need to be eaten on site where they are distributed. The Seattle Summer Food Service Program runs through August 22, 2025.
As of this posting, 2025 Seattle sites have not been announced yet. Check back soon!
Tacoma meals for kids
Children 18 and younger can enjoy healthy, free meals at 12 locations across Tacoma through August 29. Free sack lunches are available through the Summer Playground and Lunch Program for kids Monday through Friday, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Each pick-up location has the added benefit of play equipment and splash pads and were selected using data from Tacoma Public Schools to identify areas with higher enrollment in free and reduced lunch programs. The program will expand as new needs arise, according to organizers.
The map will continue to be uploaded with new locations as we draw closer to the summer. (Image courtesy Tacoma Parks)
Pre-lunch structured play for Tacoma kids
Metro Parks will also be providing on-site programming at several locations. Staff will lead participants in field games, activities, and craft projects on a drop-in basis from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Pre-lunch activities for kids start at 10 a.m.
“We don’t want anyone going hungry during the summer,” Molly Barnett, Community Recreation Program Supervisor for Metro Parks Tacoma, said of the play and meal program. “This is a chance for our staff to be community ambassadors for Metro Parks. We want to build long-term relationships and support these kids as they learn, play, and grow.”
Apply for SUN Bucks
The state’s summertime EBT program, called SUN Bucks, was created to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. Through the program, eligible families receive a one-time $120 benefit for each eligible child to help buy groceries during the summer months. Nearly 600,000 Washington children received SUN Bucks over the summer of 2024. Apply online.
Click the image to see if you’re eligible for SUN Bucks, and to apply. (Image courtesy Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Services)
