Summer vacation may be a time to have fun, but when children aren’t getting sufficient nutritious meals, the Food Bank is here to help.

While summer vacation may mean vacations, barbecues and fun for some, for others, it means three months of not getting sufficient nutritious meals as they would when attending school. Summer break can be just as stressful, if not more, for parents, as they now have to budget for potential child care and feed their kids three meals a day before they start to worry about back-to-school needs.

For decades, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has worked with its Partner Agency Network and community partners to address food insecurity among children. Among the several initiatives to address child food and nutrition insecurity is the Summer Meal Program. 

The Summer Meal Program is Here to Help

As of Summer 2024, celebrating its 19th edition, the Summer Meal Program provides a nutritious breakfast and lunch to children who would normally receive their meals at school. In 2023, the Summer Meal Program served 21,067 meals a day at 14 distribution sites, including community centers, summer schools and camps, and youth centers. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally-funded nutrition program for children facing hunger during the summer months. ­­­­­

The Food Bank’s Child Nutrition program provides well-balanced meals and food kits for children facing hunger all year long. Access to healthy food helps prevent nutritiona­­­l deficiencies that could turn into lifelong health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. It also establishes healthy eating habits and provides the nutrition needed to concentrate and perform well in school. Early access to healthy meals supports strong educational development, which in turn sets kids up for a successful future full of opportunity and promise.

Summer Meals Help Create Memories

One of the sites offering a Summer Lunch Program is the City of Commerce’s Bandini Park. There, the Food Bank met with Jennifer, a mother of three children who are all under six years of age. For the last three years, Jennifer has been making it a point to participate in the Summer Meal Program. Not only does it help her take her kids out to enjoy an afternoon in the park, but it also means they’ll receive a nutritious meal at no cost to her. 

“It definitely removes the stress, the kids like it, and it definitely helps the pocket,” she said.

“I’m always telling parents about it because they complain about the prices at the grocery store, especially now. It’s so important because they’re not going to be able to run around if they don’t have the energy,” she added.

Supporting the Food Bank financially helps support programs like the Summer Meal Program and other Children’s Programs. Consider making a donation.