The annual Summer Lunch program, sponsored by La Manzana Community Resources (LMCR), a program of Community Bridges’ Family Resource Collective, will kick off on June 9.
Kids 18 and younger can pick up a free lunch at various sites in Santa Cruz and Watsonville through early-August. Most Watsonville sites will distribute lunches through August 8.
Through Community Bridges, the Summer Lunch program has served 20,000 meals over the last three years, helping combat local childhood hunger and its harmful impacts on the area’s youngest residents.
When school districts close for the summer many students who are not attending ongoing educational programs miss out on what sometimes is their only complete meal. It is estimated that more than 30 million children across the U.S. depend on free meal programs such as these and it’s even more critical when the traditional sources of that access are closed for summer.
“Community Bridges Summer Lunch sites are easily accessible to local youth,” said LMCR Program Manager Liliana Zamora. “Some sites are in apartment complexes; others are in local parks and community centers. This allows youth to access lunch close to their residence instead of getting transportation to local school sites, removing another barrier for families to remain nourished through the summer.”
Free meals will be provided to all children without eligibility documentation, at the following sites from 12-1pm, Monday through Friday. Serving dates are June 9– August 1.
Boys and Girls Club of Santa Cruz: 543 Center St., Santa Cruz
Nueva Vista at Beach Flats Park:
131 Leibrandt Ave. Santa Cruz
Free meals will be provided to all children 0-18, without eligibility documentation, at the following sites from 121pm, Monday through Friday. Serving dates are June 9– August 8.
La Manzana Community Resources: 521 Main St., Watsonville
Stone Creek Apartments:
300 Bree Lane, Watsonville
Vista Verde Apartments:
45 Steward Ave., Freedom
Corralitos Creek Apartments:
125 Pajaro Circle, Freedom
Free meals will be provided to all children without eligibility documentation, at the following sites from 12-1pm Monday through Friday. Serving dates are June 23-July 31.
Sunny Meadows:
220 Ross Ave., Freedom
Schapiro Knolls:
33 Minto Rd., Watsonville
Free meals will be provided to all children, without eligibility documentation, at the following sites from 12-1pm Monday through Friday. Serving dates are June 23 – August 1.
Sparrow Terrace:
139 Miles Ave., Watsonville
A combination of state and local funding supports most of the Summer Lunch Program costs. But approximately 30 percent of the cost of this program is covered through donations. Those interested in making an individual donation to support the program may do so by visiting communitybridges.org/donate and selecting “La Manzana Community Resource Center.”
Those interested in volunteering to help serve lunches, or to support any of our other programs, should visit communitybridges.org/volunteer.
