Along with the summer season comes popsicles, watermelon, and barbecue. This summer, Santa Barbara County nonprofit Community Action Commission will take the food tradition one step further by offering free, nutritious meals to children and youth from low-income families.
Community Action Commission—partnering with summer youth programs run by organizations such as the Boys and Girls clubs, city parks and recreation departments, Good Samaritan, and more—will provide lunch, and in some cases breakfast, at sites in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Goleta, Lompoc, and Guadalupe. The meals are available to children ages 18 and younger whose families qualify as low-income based on federal poverty guidelines, according to a press release from the commission.
The commission’s summer food service program ensures that low-income children who receive free or reduced lunches during the school year continue to have access to nutritious meals for no charge until they begin school again in the fall. Going into its 11th year, the program is funded mainly with federal money and help from the Exxon Mobil Corp. This is the third year the program has been held in the North County.
According to the release, meals will be provided to all children without charge. Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for everyone, regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.
Beginning June 22, meals will be provided at the following Santa Maria locations:
Good Samaritan Shelter, 401 W. Morrison, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.; Evans Park Boys and Girls Club, 200 W. Williams, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.; and Railroad Boys and Girls Club, 901 N. Railroad, from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m.
Meals are also being served at the Guadalupe Boys and Girls Club, 4689 11th St., Guadalupe, from 1 to 2 p.m.
For more information, call the Community Action Commission at 964-8857 or visit cacsb.org.
This article appears in Jun 18-25, 2009.
