The Santa Barbara Unified School District and City of Santa Barbara have teamed up again to provide free lunches to local K-12 students through the Summer Food Service Program.
The district’s four Mobile Cafes started visiting sites all over town this week and will serve lunches every weekday during summer break.
Menus were designed by SBUSD’s director of nutrition services, Nancy Weiss, who uses kid-friendly favorites such as grass-fed beef hamburgers and barbecued chicken with watermelon. The program, in its third summer, is an extension of the federally funded national lunch program.
Weiss is involved in every aspect of food in schools and works to educate students to be environmentally conscious and have healthy eating habits. She has started a composting program, banned Styrofoam at elementary schools and eliminated sporks — she says they’re not a real eating tool.
She is also dedicated to fresh ingredients, with some local and organic produce, though it costs more. Costs for the summer program increased 25 percent from last year for food and gas, she she.
“The more wholesome the food is, the more expensive it is,” Weiss said.
Parks & Recreation Department programs manager Sarah Hanna said the city has worked with the district to coordinate Mobile Café visits so the lunches are within walking distance for low-income families and summer camp sites.
For the 43 days of the program, Weiss said she expects to serve 250 children at each site, for more than 70,000 meals.
Lunches will be served Mondays through Fridays, except for July 4 and Aug. 3, until Aug. 17 at the following times and locations. Meals are free for all children age 18 or younger and handicapped adults older than 18, but adults can buy a plate for $3.50 everywhere but the Skater’s Point location.
» Franklin Elementary School cafeteria, 1111 E. Mason St. — lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and snack from 2 to 2:30 p.m.
» Skater’s Point, Mobile Café at Garden Street and Cabrillo Boulevard — lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Lunches for adults will not be sold at Skater’s Point.)
» La Cumbre Junior High School, Mobile Café in the parking lot, 350 Portesuello Ave. — lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
» Elings Park, Mobile Café, 1298 Las Positas Road — lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
» Parque de los Niños, 520 Wentworth Ave. — lunch from 1 to 2 p.m.
» McKinley Elementary School cafeteria, 350 Loma Alta — lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and snack from 2 to 2:30 p.m.
» Westside Community Center, Mobile Café, 423 W. Victoria St. — lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and snack from 2 to 2:30 p.m.
— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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