Before anyone picks up a racket at MetroSquash summer camp, a program that offers free squash lessons for kids, the morning starts at a long table. Blueberry muffins and cartons of milk are distributed to a room full of kids before they launch into a full day of squash, academics and games.
Paradise Sanders, 9, is excited about today’s breakfast. "My favorite meal is the yogurt and blueberry muffin," she said. She has opinions about the rest of the menu, too. “My favorite fruits are apples and strawberries, and I love when we get those."
Sanders is an incoming fourth grader whose favorite subject in school is math. She is also one of the students at MetroSquash's summer camp in Woodlawn, where breakfast and lunch are served every day in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
Built to grow with students
MetroSquash has been in Woodlawn since 2005. The free program pairs squash and fitness with academics, social work and college and career guidance, and follows students from middle school through college graduation. More than 400 students participate at either the Woodlawn center, Chicago's largest squash facility, or a second site in Evanston.
MetroSquash’s Woodlawn facility supports students through squash, academics, mentorship and meals. (Photos by Lou Foglia for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.)
The Food Depository supplies MetroSquash with meals year-round. During the school year, that means an after-school meal. In the summer, when students are on site all day, we provide breakfast and lunch.
Why summer meals matter
School breakfast and lunch can account for as much as half of a child's daily calories during the academic year. When school lets out for the summer, that support disappears, leaving many families to stretch already tight grocery budgets to keep their kids fed.
One in four families with children in the Chicago area experiences food insecurity, yet only about 12 out of every 100 students who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year participate in a summer meals.
Breakfast is ready at MetroSquash, where muffins and milk help fuel students before a day of learning and activity.
That's the gap the Food Depository works to close. This summer, we are supplying meals to 115 programs across Cook County, including camps like MetroSquash, libraries, schools and community centers where children already spend their days.
Fuel for a full day
Mila Jeffrey first came to MetroSquash four years ago. Now 14, she is spending her third summer at camp while also attending the after-school program during the academic year. This fall, she'll begin her freshman year at Kenwood Academy.
Mila Jeffrey, 14, has spent four summers at MetroSquash, where she combines her love of squash with year-round academic and enrichment programming.
"Most of the time I'm rushing out the house and I can't really have breakfast," she said. "So it's always great to know that even if I can't have breakfast at home, I can still come here and eat something." She has favorites, too: Caesar chicken wraps, pizza and, for breakfast, the banana muffins or yogurt and granola "because it's just easy."
Asa Harris found MetroSquash from the passenger seat of his dad's car. "We were just driving by it one day, and decided to check it out," he said. That was three years ago. Now he is preparing to start eighth grade and spends his summer mornings on the courts.
Asa Harris (middle) takes a bite of a muffin alongside his fellow campers before a day of learning, squash and summer activities.
"The meals are really good," he said. "There's a big selection, fresh fruit, and protein like chicken pasta. It helps you to stay energized."
MetroSquash also weaves academics throughout the day, helping students continue learning while school is out. "We don’t want the kids to lose their reading and math skills over the summer," Teasley said. "Instead, we weave those things into games and into the sport."
More than what's on the menu
At MetroSquash, the meals help power a full day of learning, movement and mentorship. That's one reason Ashleigh Teasley joined MetroSquash in June 2022. She started as manager of the social work team and now directs social work and support services. She sees the impact of the meals throughout the day.
"We get to see our students refuel," she said. "We get to see them start the day energetic, and that is in large part because of the food they’re provided."
Ashleigh Teasley, director of social work and support services at MetroSquash, sees firsthand how meals help students stay energized and engaged throughout the day.
In Woodlawn, access to healthy food isn't always easy. "We are definitely in a food desert," Teasley said. "We only have so many options, and costs are crazy right now."
The fresh fruit is what Teasley notices the kids enjoy most. "They're getting whole fruit, and that's really new them," she said. "They love the apples, the oranges. It's a whole fruit. It's not chopped up."
For some students, it's the first time trying foods they might not have picked up on their own. "It's opened it up for them to try something new," she said.
MetroSquash students enjoy breakfast together, starting the day with a meal and time to connect with friends.
Not every camper arrives confident on the court. Some have never held a racket, and squash can feel intimidating at first. "They can be nervous. Maybe they're not good at it," Teasley said. "But you have to start somewhere. It’s the same with trying new foods."
The partnership with the Food Depository gives students another opportunity to try something new while making sure they have the food they need to stay fueled throughout the day.
"We're grateful for this partnership," Teasley said. "It's really nice to be able to support our families, not only with opportunities in the summer, but to make sure that we're feeding their children."
MetroSquash students build their skills on the court as part of a summer program that combines squash, academics, mentorship and meals.
A blueberry muffin before the first serve. A chicken Caesar wrap before afternoon practice. The meals may be a small part of the day, but they help make everything else possible – from learning something new in the classroom to stepping onto the squash court with energy to spare. At MetroSquash, feeding kids is one part of helping them grow. And each summer morning, it all starts around the breakfast table.
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