Los Angeles County and City have come together to offer free summer lunches to help busy parents alleviate the burden of providing meals for their children during the summer break. The initiative aims to ensure that minors have access to nutritious meals without parents having to worry about preparing them.
Starting from last week and continuing this week, the Los Angeles area is providing free nutritious lunches for children aged 18 and under at over 700 locations. Five departments are involved in providing these services: Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (LADRP), Los Angeles County Library, Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
Among them, the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks will be offering free lunches at over one hundred parks in the city from June 13 to August 2, on weekdays at noon on a first-come, first-served basis. Families in need can find the nearest location on the City Parks website or inquire by calling (818) 346-2700 or texting “Summer Meals” to 97779.
There is no need to provide income verification to receive the summer lunch program, simply take your child to the nearest Los Angeles City Park; lunches cannot be taken away and must be consumed on-site.
Throughout the county, the Los Angeles County Library will be offering lunch services from June 16 to August 8, typically on weekdays from 12 pm to 1 pm (with some libraries having exceptions on Mondays). For more details, visit the Los Angeles County Library website.
There are also 48 parks in Los Angeles County providing children with nutritious lunches including vegetables, fruits, nuts, milk, cheese, yogurt, among other categories. Families without a county library nearby can check the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department website or download the mobile app “The CA Meals for Kids” developed by the California Department of Education for the most convenient lunch locations.
Furthermore, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is offering free breakfast and lunch for children and teenagers aged 1 to 18 from June 17 to July 25. Specific times and locations can be found on the school district’s website. Please note that services may be temporarily suspended on certain dates such as June 19 and July 4 during legal holidays.
The L.A. Regional Food Bank is providing free lunch services at 19 locations in the Los Angeles area with varying service times. More information can be found on the Food Bank’s website.