¡Bienvenido!
Welcome! Summer Programs for 2019!
Please contact Angel Vega at 978- 534-3145 to register your child. They can give you updates on specific locations for Summer Youth Program sites.
All meals provided by the Spanish American Center are free of charge and open to all school-aged children – (ages 5 – 18).
Some history of SAC’s participation in Summer Youth Nutrition programs:
Saturday, 7/22/17
So children don’t go hungry
McGovern spotlights meals program run by Leominster’s Spanish American Center
Congressman Jim McGovern joins Spanish American Center volunteers at the Riverside Village Apartments in Leominster Friday to highlight the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program. From left are Juanita Fernandez, Ana Rodriguez, Christina Gonzalez, center Director Neddy Latimer and Silvia Taurino. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / Ashley Green
LEOMINSTER — In the hour before U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern was set to hold a roundtable discussion with state and local leaders on summer food programs, he visited with the local residents most at risk of going hungry in the summer.
“I remind people all the time, the kids are 100 percent of our future and we need to do right by them,” he said. “During the school year kids have access to breakfast and lunch but during the summer it can be a little more challenging.”
It’s because of this challenge that Leominster’s Spanish American Center has been providing free meals to children during the summer months for more than a decade now.
McGovern was on hand Friday as the center’s staff and other volunteers served breakfast to Leominster youths at the Riverside Village Apartments.
It was a day to celebrate as Spanish American Center staff and other volunteers served breakfast to Leominster youths at the Riverside Village Apartments. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / Ashley Green
The visit was just the first stop on the congressman’s annual Summer Food Rocks Tour intended to highlight the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s national Summer Food Service program and the positive impact it has on area families.
As McGovern explained, awareness of the program has become especially important as federal funding used to feed local children is currently at risk.
“I worry because in Washington making sure that summer feeding programs are funded is always a struggle, and not only that, but the Republicans have just released their budget and they’re proposing cuts to SNAP of up to $110 billion,” he said. “(These summer food programs are) the kind of stuff governments should be promoting.If this didn’t exist there would be kids in this room who would be going without food right now.”
Spanish American Center Director Neddy Latimer said the center coordinates meal programs in and around Leominster over a five- to six-week time span every summer. “This is very important. Altogether right now, with all the sites we sponsor, we help close to 900 kids a day,” she said.
Adonis Munoz of Leominster joins local children enjoying breakfasts provided by the Spanish American Center at the Riverside Village Apartments Friday. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / Peter Jasinski
State Rep. Natalie Higgins, who also visited the Riverside Village Apartments on Friday, praised the Spanish American Center’s ability to feed as many local children as possible with the limited funds available to them.
“I’m just amazed with the organized chaos that they can keep all of these kids together. I talked to a bunch of the kids and they said the food is really great and that they really like being a part of this,” said the Leominster Democrat.
After leaving Leominster, McGovern visited similar programs run in Athol, Greenfield and Worcester.
Follow Peter Jasinski on Twitter @PeterJasinski53.
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2016 Report of Children Served:
“The Block Party was a huge success, with music, activities, a Moon Walk, presentations by the fire and police departments and Emergency Management Presentation, etc.
We hired 20 people to assist with the program and food preparation and hired 6 youth to gain work skills during the summer.
It was an amazing Summer and I am proud to say thanks to everyone involved in one way or another to have made this program possible.This allows us to combat and strive to alleviate hunger.
I also want to thank DOE, Project Bread, the Leominster CDBG program and Summer-Up for their continued support.” – Neddy Latimer, Director, SAC
Photos of the 2016 Block Party held to celebrate the conclusion of our 2016 Summer Youth Program:
Photos courtesy of SAC’s Sonia Rodriguez!
AG Maura Healey will visit Leominster’s Spanish American Center
2017 (Sentinel & Enterprise)
Kicks off third annual ‘Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Grant Program’
BOSTON — Attorney General Maura Healey, who announced that her office is awarding $300,000 in grant funding to 70 organizations across the state to fund nearly 200 summer jobs for local youth focused on health and well-being, will visit Leominster’s Spanish American Center Wednesday morning.
“Summer jobs empower young people to gain new skills and contribute to their communities,” said Healy in a press release about the grants.
“Through our healthy summer youth jobs program, nearly 200 young people from across Massachusetts will work in jobs in government and nonprofit organizations focused on health and well-being,” she said.
AG Healey will kickoff the third year of her Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Grant Program with a site visit in Leominster to the Spanish American Center at 9:30 a.m.
Joining Healey will be State Rep. Natalie Higgins, Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella, and Leominster Interim Police Chief Michael Goldman.
This year’s Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Grant Program is funded with $300,000 in settlement money from the AG’s Office. Beyond increasing employment for young people in the grant funding will allow teens to hold jobs that include working in a community health center, counseling at a summer camp about nutrition, leading cooking classes, and working at a farmer’s market.
Examples of jobs that have received funding from the AG’s Office include working as a coach teaching young people about healthy eating, a bilingual health educator, a camp counselor teaching physical fitness and healthy living habits, serving meals to younger kids, designing a community health research project and running a farmers’ market.
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AG Healey Funds Summer Youth Jobs Across Massachusetts
AG’s Office Provides $300,000 in Grant Funding for 70 Organizations to Hire Young People
BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey today announced that her office is awarding $300,000 in grant funding to 70 organizations across the state to fund nearly 200 summer jobs for local youth focused on health and well-being.
“Summer jobs empower young people to gain new skills and contribute to their communities,” AG Healey said. “Through our healthy summer youth jobs program, nearly 200 young people from across Massachusetts will work in jobs in government and nonprofit organizations focused on health and well-being.”
AG Healey will kickoff the third year of her Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Grant Program this week with site visits in Lawrence, Leominster, Worcester, and Springfield.
This year’s Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Grant Program is funded with $300,000 in settlement money from the AG’s Office. Beyond increasing employment for young people in the grant funding will allow teens to hold jobs that include working in a community health center, counseling at a summer camp about nutrition, leading cooking classes, and working at a farmer’s market.
Examples of jobs that have received funding from the AG’s Office include working as a coach teaching young people about healthy eating, a bilingual health educator, a camp counselor teaching physical fitness and healthy living habits, serving meals to younger kids, designing a community health research project and running a farmers’ market.
The 70 organizations – including nonprofits, cities and towns and public offices – receiving funding through the Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Program include:
The Cape and the Islands
Cape Cod YMCA in Barnstable
Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club
Berkshire County
Berkshire County Regional Employment Board, Inc. in Pittsfield
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams
Bristol County
Attleboro YMCA in Attleboro
Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton
Diabetes Association, Inc in Fall River
Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Fall River
E.A.S.T Youth Center, Inc. in South Easton
Greater Fall River RE-CREATION in Fall River
New Bedford Parks, Recreation and Beaches Department
Youth Opportunities Unlimited in New Bedford
Essex County
Beyond Soccer in Lawrence
Camp Fire North Shore in Salem
Centro de Apoyo Familiar in Lawrence
The City of Gloucester Health Department
Greater Lawrence Community Boating in Lawrence
Groundwork Lawrence
Lawrence Boys & Girls Club
North Shore Community Development Corporation in Salem
Russian Community Association of Massachusetts in Lynn
Hampden County
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke
The Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield
Martin Luther King Jr Family Services, Inc in Springfield
Springfield Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management
Middlesex County
Boston College Urban Hydro Farmers in Chestnut Hill
Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell
City of Everett
City of Lowell Recreation Office
City of Medford
Girls Incorporated of Greater Lowell
Groundwork Somerville
Philip Brooks House Association Inc. in Cambridge
REACH Beyond Domestic Violence in Waltham
The Food Project in Lincoln; (work will be done in Boston and Lynn)
UTEC in Lowell
Norfolk County
The Randolph Board of Health
Plymouth County
The Boys & Girls Club of Brockton
The Brockton Neighborhood Health Center
The Old Colony Y in Brockton
The Plymouth County 4-H Youth and Family Development Program in Middleborough
Suffolk County
Action for Boston Community Development in Boston
The Boys & Girls Club Yawkey Club of Roxbury
The Center for Community Health Education Research and Service, Inc. in Boston
Center for Teen Empowerment in Boston
Chelsea Collaborative
City of Revere / Revere on the Move
Doc Wayne Youth Services in Boston
Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation in Boston
Hyde Square Task Force, Inc. in Boston
Immigrant Family Services Institute in Roslindale
InnerCity Weightlifting in Dorchester
Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion in Boston
Level Ground Mixed Martial Arts in Boston
Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition
Maverick Landing Community Services in East Boston
MetroLacrosse in Jamaica Plain
Mothers for Justice and Equality in Roxbury
No Books No Ball Basketball Program in Roxbury
Project R.I.G.H.T. in Dorchester
Sociedad Latina in Boston
St. Stephen’s Youth Program in Boston
West End Boys & Girls Club in Boston
Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury
Worcester County
Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster
City of Worcester
Girls Inc. of Worcester
Spanish American Center, Inc. in Leominster
The Southeast Asian Coalition of Massachusetts in Worcester
Worcester Youth Center
AG Healey’s Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Program will fund jobs for young people at the organizations from July 10 through Aug.25.
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The final weeks of the Summer Nutrition Program are here!
Here, Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts talks about his tour of summer meal programs for children – as you scroll down, I have highlighted in italics his comments about his visit here, to the Spanish American Center —
Congressman Jim McGovern
Congressman Jim McGovern
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) spoke on the House floor to highlight the success of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) national Summer Food Service program in providing healthy summer meals to low-income students in Massachusetts.
Congressman McGovern recently kicked off his 2nd Annual Summer Food Rocks Tour – including visits to Worcester, Leominster, Ware, and Orange – to raise awareness about the USDA program, which ensures that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. This summer, USDA plans to serve more than 200 million free meals to children 18 years and under.
“For millions of low-income students, summer break isn’t as carefree as it should be. For these children, summer is a time of great uncertainty. During the school year, they have access to reliable, healthy school breakfasts and school lunches. But, when school’s out, these children – and their families – are often left scrambling to find enough to eat.
“According to Share Our Strength, a leading national partner on summer meals, 43 percent of low-income families say it’s harder to make ends meet during the summer, and they must budget an extra $300 a month for groceries when kids are home from school in the summer. For families already struggling to put food on the table, these can be daunting challenges.
“Only 1 in 6 students that gets a free or reduced price school meal receives a summer meal. As we consider the next Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill, we need to ensure that all students who are eligible for school meals have access to free summer meals. And, that states and local communities have the funding and resources they need to reach all eligible children.”
“Summer should not be a time of increased hunger among our children.” . . .
“Then, we were off to the Spanish American Center in Leominster, Massachusetts, where we were hosted by the Center’s Executive Director, Neddy Latimer. We participated in a roundtable discussion on the successes and challenges of the summer meals program. We then had the opportunity to tour the Center’s newly constructed kitchen and serve lunch to an enthusiastic group of children.”