A free summer lunch program, organized by Hope Chapel AME Zion Church and supported by the Utica City School District Board of Education, returned July 10 to Munson.
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, through Aug. 29 in the Munson Museum of Art parking lot at 1207 State St.
Free craft kits provided by Munson accompany lunches on Tuesday.
The summer lunch program started in 2020. Rev. Sharon Baugh, pastor of Hope Chapel AME Zion Church, 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 Anna D’Ambrosio noted that she appreciates Munson’s opportunity to continue its participation in the program.
“We always want our local community to feel welcome at Munson,” D’Ambrosio said. “This is one way to bring young people to campus and help build a connection to the arts, while providing a necessary and nutritious meal.”
The program is supported by a grant from The Community Foundation and United Way of the Mohawk Valley.
Munson is an internationally recognized fine arts center in Utica, New York serving diverse audiences through a renowned Museum of Art, live performances and events, community arts classes, and Pratt Munson, the upstate extension campus of the prestigious Pratt Institute.
