It is difficult to spend all day in school when your stomach growls like a hungry lion. Hungry kids have trouble learning and participating in class work, and hunger even affects recess and sports activities.
Fortunately, all Brea Olinda Unified School District students, from preschool through high school can receive free breakfast and lunch every day for the 2023-24 school year.
“Under the Universal Meal Program public school districts are required to provide two meals at no-charge (breakfast and lunch) during each school day,” Assistant Superintendent Rick Champion said.
The Universal Meal Program is a statewide program benefiting all California public schools.
At present, about 1,800 free breakfasts and 3,000 free lunches are served at the district’s schools. It doesn’t seem that as many students as could are taking advantage of the program since there are 5,866 K-12 students in the district.
Remember bringing milk money to school to purchase a carton of milk to go with your sack lunch? My brother often lost his money. Well, today that’s not a problem because milk is no longer sold at Brea’s schools. If kids bring their lunches and want milk, they get it free, along with a piece of fruit and a vegetable.
What if a child only wants the milk? They have to take all three items and either eat them, trade with another student or drop them into the “share box,” where students deposit the food they don’t want. That way, a student who wants another apple, for example, can see if there are any in the share box.
And the leftover items in the share box are donated to Abound Food Care, an Orange County nonprofit corporation that collects excess editable food from schools, restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and growers and works with food banks, pantries and other nonprofits who prepare and distribute meals to those in need. So much better than being tossed in the trash can.
Champion explained that while parents are not required to submit a meal…
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