Brian Mitchell, former NFL kick returner and running back who won a Super Bowl in Washington, is helping to promote the free summer meals program in D.C. by explaining how he used to participate in meal programs when he was a kid.
“From second and third grade on, I did it,” Mitchell said during an event with D.C. students Thursday.
The summer program in D.C. allows people ages 18 and under to get free meals at more than 100 locations around the city.
The program provides ‘free breakfast, lunch and a snack,’ which became a chant by those in attendance during the kickoff event.
“Your parents get a chance to focus on what they need to do as adults, and we had a chance to go out and have fun with our friends and get nutritious meals,” Mitchell said.
The program runs through Aug. 27.
“A lot of youth, during the school year, eat at school and that’s where they get their meals,” said Thennie Freeman, interim director of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. “Our children know that it is a place where they can come eat, and they take advantage of the opportunity.”
No application or proof of identification is needed for people to receive the meals.
