SAN DIEGO
–
There is such a thing as a free lunch, at least for children in San Diego this summer.
That's because the San Diego Unified School District is serving free meals to anyone from the ages of 2 to 18. The lunches will be given away every weekday at 19 City of San Diego Park and Recreation sites and 14 schools.
There are no qualifications beyond age to be eligible.
“During the summer, there's no application or paperwork of any kind. They go to the parks and recreation center and get a free meal,” said Joanne Tucker, the school district's food services marketing coordinator.
The Summer Foods Program, now in its fourth year, is an extension of the National School Lunch Program. It was started to help families who depend on inexpensive lunches served to their children during the school year.
“With the economy so bad, there's going to be a big need for this. It's a big expense to all of a sudden have your kids at home for lunch during the summer,” Tucker said. “It fills a gap.”
Last year, the district served more than 65,000 meals and expects to give away more this year because of the slumping economy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reimbursed the district $2.42 for each meal.
The sites where the meals are served are near schools where at least half of students qualified for lunch assistance during the school year.
“They tend to be in lower-income neighborhoods,” Tucker said.
The dates of the lunches vary. The school sites involved are open for summer classes and will serve meals until July 18. When the summer classes are over, a nearby Park and Recreation center will take over as a meal site. The program will begin June 23 and end Aug. 27.
A kickoff barbecue for the program is scheduled June 25 at the Skyline Hills Community Park at 8285 Skyline Drive. Food at the barbecue is free for people younger than 18 and costs $3 for adults.
Tucker said the program covers the city and that there will be other programs that serve different parts of San Diego County.
“We're not the only game in town,” Tucker said. “It's done all over the county and all over the state.”
A list of meal sites and dates is posted at sandi.net/food
Alan Schnepf is a San Diego freelance writer.
