Alameda County Community Food Bank

Press Releases:

Contact: Judyth Collin
(510) 636-4902

Free Summer Lunch Provides Nutritious Meals to Children
-140 School and Community Sites in Alameda County Open for Children-

21 June 2007 -- (Oakland, CA) One in three children in Alameda County faces the threat of hunger every day. Low-income families are especially challenged during summer months when their children don’t have access to free or reduced-price school lunches. This summer 140 school and community sites throughout Alameda County will provide a free lunch to children and teenagers 18 years and younger, regardless of family income. No registration or paperwork is required – children who show up will be served a nutritious and delicious lunch. To find a nearby site, click here or call the Alameda County Community Food Bank’s toll-free Food Helpline, 800-870-FOOD (3663), enter your zip code to be directed to a summer lunch site in your area. Additional information and a list of Bay Area-wide sites are also available at www.summerlunch.org.

The Food Bank is hosting a “Bring A Friend to Summer Lunch Day” on July 5 at the Bushrod Recreation Center, 560 59th Street in Oakland from 11 am – 1:30 pm. This fun, free event is open to the public; children 18 and under can win t-shirts, Frisbees, bracelets, nerf footballs and other giveaways as well as learn more about the summer lunch program.

“Summer should be the happiest months for children and hunger is the last thing they should have to worry about,” states Senator Don Perata. “Unfortunately, summer lunch attendance is low because many families are unaware of the program.”

In Alameda County, 77,000 children are eligible to receive free and reduced-price meals during the school year, yet only 15 percent participated last year. Statewide, according to the California Food Policy Advocates (www.cfpa.net), although California is slightly above the national average for summer meal participation, summer nutrition programs only reach 30 percent of all eligible children. In 2006, 116.1 million meals were served nationwide as part of the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer.)

Outreach efforts for this year’s Summer Lunch program are spearheaded by the Alameda County Community Food Bank, USDA, City of Oakland, Oakland Unified School District and the offices of Senator Don Perata and Assemblymember Sandré Swanson.