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Omaha Parks Department expands sites for summer meal program

Omaha’s Parks and Recreation Department is expanding the number of sites where it offers summer meals for young people.

The department received a $30,000 grant from the National Recreation and Park Association. The Parks Department offers summer meals at seven locations in conjunction with Westside District 66. Now, they’ll be adding four sites.

Kari Vasquez, Recreation Coordinator with the Parks Department, says the grant will also be used to support healthy activity.

"The other part of the grant is a physical activity standard that we have pledged to maintain. And so it’ll also go to some equipment that we can use year-round to increase that active lifestyle."

Another component of the program is nutrition education. The program is at seven community centers and four city parks.

The sites are:

Adams Community Center, 3230 John Creighton Blvd., 11 am-1 pm

Benson Community Center, 6008 Maple St., 12:30-1 pm

Camelot Community Center, 9270 Cady Ave., 11:30 am-12 pm

Christie Heights Community Center, 5105 South 37th, 12-1 pm

Columbus Park Community Center, 1515 South 24th, 12-1 pm

Florence Community Center, 2920 Bondesson St., 12-1 pm

Sherman Community Center, 5701 North 16th, 12:30-1 pm

Miller Park, 6275 North 30th, 11:30 am-12:30 pm

Karen Park, 6288 H St, 11:30 am-1 pm

Hitchcock Park, 5025 South 45th, 11:30 am-1 pm

Spring Lake Park, 4020 Hoctor Blvd., 11:30 am-1 pm

64,750 meals were served last summer.

A recent report by the Food Research and Action Center showed more than 601,000 summer meals were served to Nebraska youth in 2013.