School is out for the summer, but kids don’t need to miss out on a nutritious, free lunch Monday through Friday. For the 45th year in a row, Long Beach and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hand out daily lunches to kids 18 and under from June 17 through Aug. 23.
“Ensuring that our children have access to nutritious meals over the summer school break has been a cornerstone of our summer youth services for over 40 years,” said Mayor Rex Richardson in a statement from the City. “The Summer Food Service Program not only helps combat food insecurity but also promotes healthy eating habits among our youth.”
The 25 parks and libraries in Long Beach and Signal Hill will provide a well-balanced meal consisting of milk, juice, fruits and vegetables. No registration is required to receive a lunch, but infant meals will not be provided. Meals must be eaten at the location.
Lunch will not be offered on holidays: June 19 and July 4.
The Summer Food Service Program began in Long Beach in 1979 and has since provided more than two million meals to children and teens ages 1 to 18 years. The program was established to ensure that during the school summer break, children would be able to receive the same well-balanced meals they receive during the school year. The Summer Food Service Program for Children is funded through USDA and administered by the California Department of Education.
Times and locations to receive free lunches Monday through Friday are listed below:
Serving Time: 11:30 a.m. – Noon
- Admiral Kidd Park, 2125 Santa Fe Ave.
- Bixby Park, 130 Cherry Ave.
- College Estates Park, 808 Stevely Ave.
- Coolidge Park, 352 Neece Ave.
- Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave.
- Lincoln Park, 101 Pacific Ave.
- MacArthur Park, 1321 Anaheim St.
- Orizaba Park, 1435 Orizaba Ave.
- Scherer Park, 4600 Long Beach Blvd.
- Silverado Park, 1545 W. 31st St.
- Somerset Park, 1500 E. Carson St.
- Stearns Champions Park, 4520 E. 23rd St.
- Signal Hill Park, 1780 E. Hill St.
Serving Time: Noon – 12:30 p.m.
- Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way
- Cesar Chavez Park. 401 Golden Ave.
- Drake Park, 951 Maine Ave.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 1950 Lemon Ave.
- McBride Park, 1550 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
- Pan American Park, 5157 Centralia Ave.
- Ramona Park, 3301 E. 65th St.
- Seaside Park, 14th St. & Chestnut Ave.
- Veterans Park, 101 E. 28th St.
- Whaley Park, 5620 Atherton St.
Serving Time: Noon – 12:30 p.m. (Tuesday – Friday, June 18 – August 2)
- Bret Hart Library, 1595 W. Willow St.
- Brewitt Library, 4036 E. Anaheim St.
Menus are available online in English and Spanish.
