SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)— For years, Mary Nelson’s Youth Center has become a lifeline for children, especially those on Syracuse’s southside, offering kids free meals and a safe and caring environment. But this summer, a broken air conditioner and a surprise state inspection changed everything for her summer food program.
The Mary Nelson Youth Center partnered with the Syracuse City School District as one of the locations of its feeding program, which began on July 7. The program offers breakfast at 9:00 a.m. and lunch at 11:00 a.m.
But just a week in, when the center’s A/C broke, raising the heat inside the youth center, Mary said she made a choice: serve both meals at one, let the kids take it home, and keep them out of the center’s heat…