Indy Parks’ summer meal program kicked off this week, and will run through late July. Each summer, the program provides a variety of ways Marion County residents and youth can access free food, with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Chief Communications Officer for Indy Parks and Recreation Alex Cortwright said the program’s seen an increase in demand after federal and state changes to SNAP benefits, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
“Indy Parks has seen an increased demand for all of our meals and food programs since those changes happened last year, so we are anticipating that trend and need to continue,” Cortwright said.
Indy Parks Meals Program has now served more than 4 million meals to the Indianapolis community, since its launch in 2013.
The summer meals program opens as schools close, and is available for ALL youth 18 and under. It is free, no registration necessary, and sites are available Monday – Friday. Youth must be present and eat the meal on-site.
Additional sites may be added and updated on the Indy Parks website. Here are the current list of the locations and times when Indy Parks mobile units will serve meals to community members:
Mobile Unit 1:
- 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. Wes Montgomery Park - 3400 N. Hawthorne Ln.
- 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. Grassy Creek Park - 10510 E. 30 St.
- 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. Jake Greene Park - 1700 N. Franklin Rd.
- 3:00 - 3:30 p.m. Bluff Park - 555 W. Hanna Ave.
- 4:00 - 4:30 p.m. Bel Aire Park - 2901 S. Mooresville Rd.
Mobile Unit 2:
- 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. Laurelwood Apts. - 3346 Teakwood Dr.
- 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. Frank & Judy O’Bannon Park - 1001 E. 16 St.
- 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. Ellenberger Park - 5301 E St. Clair St.
- 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. Brookside Pool - 3510 Brookside Pkwy. S. Dr.
- 3:30 - 4:00 p.m. Commons Park - 2204 E. New York St.
- 4:30 - 5:00 p.m. Stanley Strader Pool - 2850 Bethel Ave.
Mobile Unit 3:
- 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. Blackburn Terrace Apts. - 3091 Baltimore Ave.
- 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. Andrew Ramsey Park - 310 W. 42 St.
- 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. Tarkington Park - 45 W. 40 St.
- 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. Bertha Ross Park - 3700 Clifton St.
Mobile Unit 4:
- 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. Eagle Branch Library - 3905 Moller Rd.
- 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. Riverside Adventure Park - 3502 N. White River Pkwy Dr. W.
- 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. Gustafson Pool - 3110 Moller Rd.
- 3:15 - 3:45 p.m. Bowman Park - 3600 Auburn Rd.
- 4:00 - 4:30 p.m. Centennial & Groff - 2300 N. Centennial St.
Times are subject to change. Please call Indy Parks Customer Service Center for more information at 317-327-PARK.
In-Person Sites:
- Krannert Park: 605 South High School Rd.
- Riverside Park: 2420 Riverside Dr.
- Garfield Park Burrello Family Center: 2345 Pagoda Dr.
- Frederick Douglass Park: 1616 E. 25th Street
- Meadowlark Apartments: 9350 E. 43rd Street
- Peace Learning Center: 6040 Delong Rd.
- Broad Ripple Park Family Center: 1426 Broad Ripple Ave.
- Grassy Creek Environmental Community Center: 3510 N. German Church Rd.
- Municipal Gardens Family Center: 1831 Lafayette Rd.
- Christian Park Family Center: 4200 English Ave.
- Enlace Academy: 3725 N. Kiel Ave.
- Pride Park: 1129 Vandeman St.
- FYI Center: 2401 E. 25th Street
- Positive Character Girls, Inc. @ Broadway United Methodist Church: 609 E. 29th Street
- Windsor Village Park: 6510 E. 25th Street
- Watkins Park: 2360 Martin Luther King St.
Indy Parks Food Pantries
- Riverside Park Food Pantry: Wednesday, 12:45 - 3:00 p.m.
- Windsor Village Park Food Pantry: Thursday, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
- The Windsor Village Pantry requires proof of Marion County residency.
Drive & Dish Program
At this time, all Drive and Dish locations are at capacity and cannot accept new participants at this time.
The Drive & Dish Program is a partnership between Indy Parks, Gleaners, and the Pacers Foundation to help combat food insecurity in Indianapolis. After visiting a park to register for the program, residents can order groceries during a weekly ordering window and then pick up their order later that week at the park.
After School Meal Service
- Open to all youth 18 and under; they must be present and eat the meal on-site
- Available Monday through Friday
- Free, no registration necessary
Indy Parks After School Meal Serving Sites
- Rhodius Park – 1720 W. Wilkins St.: Tuesday through Friday, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
- Windsor Village Park – 6510 E. 25th St.: Monday through Friday, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Mobile Youth Serving Sites: Monday through Thursday
- East 38th St Library – 5420 E. 38th St.: 3:00 - 3:20 p.m.
- Brightwood Library – 2434 N. Sherman Dr.: 3:50 - 4:10 p.m.
- Haughville Library – 2121 W. Michigan St.: 5:00 - 5:20 p.m.
Second Helpings Programs
Indy Parks serves free meals and/or sandwiches to residents at select park locations through the generosity of Second Helpings. All parks serve food while supplies last.
Parks that offer free meals:
- Brookside Park: Monday through Friday, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
- Christian Park: Monday through Friday at 4:00 p.m. while supplies last
- Frederick Douglass Park: Monday to Friday at 3:30 p.m. while supplies last
- Pride Park: Monday through Friday from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. and Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Watkins Park: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11:00 a.m. while supplies last
Parks that offer free sandwiches:
- Riverside Park: Sandwiches are available for students after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- Stanley Strader Park: Sandwiches are available Monday to Friday from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Contact WFYI digital producer and reporter Zach Bundy at zbundy@wfyi.org.
