This summer, more than 300,000 meals and snacks will be served to San Diego children at 57 sites throughout the city – all part of the Summer Fun Café, a federally funded meal program that provides meals to children ages 18 and younger when school is not in session.
More than 70,000 children in San Diego Unified School District qualify for free or reduced-price meals during the school year. When school ends for the summer, these children lose access to school meals, often leading to unhealthy eating, fatigue, weight gain and learning loss. This leaves many children unprepared to return to school in the fall.
The Summer Fun Café, administered by San Diego Unified Food and Nutrition Services, works to ensure these children have continued access to nutritious meals. The program provides meals that meet federal nutrition guidelines at no cost to all children 18 years old and younger at sites in areas with significant concentrations of low-income children.
To help raise awareness about this important program, San Diego Unified will host a kickoff barbecue event featuring a large community resource fair, fitness camp, circus performance, prize giveaway, and a free barbecue lunch for all children 18 years old and younger. Parents and guardians can also eat for free at the barbecue thanks to funding from sponsors Mission Federal Credit Union and San Diego Honda Dealers.
The Summer Fun Café Kickoff BBQ is a free community event and will take place Thursday, June 20 from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Penn Athletic Field Park, 2555 Dusk Drive, San Diego.
Event Schedule:
10:30 a.m. – Event begins: community resource fair and fitness camp with San Diego’s Albion Soccer Team
11:30 a.m. – Free barbecue lunch service begins
12:15 p.m. – Performance by Fern Street Circus
1:15 p.m. – Prize drawing for children
The Summer Fun Café is operating Monday through Friday from June 17 to Aug. 16 at 57 locations throughout San Diego. Find serving times and locations at www.sandiegounified.org/summer
