Mt. Diablo School District Offers Summer Meal Program

From MDUSD:Kick-off BBQ celebrating free summer meals program for students in the Mount Diablo Unified School District. The federally-funded program will provide free meals to children and teens while school is out as a way to keep kids healthy and engaged with their schools and local community during the summer. By partnering with the Contra Costa Library, MDUSD is encouraging children take advantage of summer reading programs to keep learning going year-round, feeding minds as well as bodies.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 28, 2017, 12:15 – 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Wren Ave. Elementary School, 3339 Wren Ave., Concord (Get directions)

OVERVIEW: In partnership with the California Summer Meal Coalition, Mt. Diablo Unified is teaming up with regional farmers to offer fresh, healthy summer meals prepared with fresh fruits and vegetables provided at no cost to residents ages 18 and under. To find locations serving free breakfasts and lunches to kids this summer, text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 or visit https://www.summermeals.org/ and enter your address, city, or zip code.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

· 12:25 p.m. – Welcome and Opening Remarks with Debra Mason, MDUSD Board President

· 12:30 - 1:00 p.m. – BBQ lunch for community, featuring fresh California foods from local farms

· (Attendees ages 18 and under eat for free!)

1:00 - 1:30 p.m. – The Alphabet Rockers

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. – Activities for kids to include gardening activities and demonstrations, taste tests, nutrition education, etc.

Community partners for the program include California Summer Meal Coalition, Contra Costa Library, Center for Ecoliteracy, First Five Contra Costa, Contra Costa Department of Public Health, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Fresh Approach, and MDUSD’s CARES After School Program.

Flyers are available for both the BBQ kickoff and the overall summer meals program for posting and distribution.

BACKGROUND:

About 22.1 million children and teens receive free and reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program, but only about 1 in 6 of those – approximately 3.8 million – participate in the summer meal programs.

The Seamless Summer Meals program, sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service, helps ensure that students who would typically receive school breakfast and lunch during the school year continue to have access to free and healthy lunches during the summer time, hence ensuring the food program is “seamless’ as it begins shortly after schools let out for summer break. The MDUSD program is offered at 16 school locations for kids and teens 18 and younger, and disabled adults. (See list of schools)

MDUSD is one of 58 school districts across the state which participate in California Thursdays, a program committed to serving freshly- prepared meals with California-grown ingredients. Extending the program into summer supports children’s health, local farmers and producers, and the community as a whole.

Community Partners & Resources

· Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano - www.foodbankccs.org

· CDE’s Summer Meal Program: www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sf/

· California Summer Meals – www.summermeals.org

· USDA’s Summer Food Service Program: www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp

· Mt. Diablo Unified School District’s Food & Nutrition Services: https://mdusd-ca.schoolloop.com/departments/food_serv

· California Summer Meal Coalition: www.ca-ilg.org/california-summer-meal-coalition

· Contra Costa County Library: www.ccclib.org

· Center for Ecoliteracy: https://www.ecoliteracy.org/food-and-sustainability

· Fresh Approach - http://www.freshapproach.org/

· CARES After School Program - http://www.mdusd.org/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1398700291713

To find locations serving free breakfasts and lunches to kids this summer, text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 or visithttps://www.summermeals.org/ and enter your address, city, or zip code. MDUSD locations are included below.

Mt. Diablo Unified School District Summer 2017 Food Service Program

June 19 – July 24*

The Summer Food Service Program serves free meals to all children and teens 18 years and younger.

ALL LOCATIONS FEED ALL CHILDREN

MEALS WILL NOT BE SERVED ON JULY 3RD & 4TH, 2017 - LAS COMIDAS NO SE SIRVE EL 3 DE JULIO Y 4 DE 2017

Image Via MDUSD