Nearly 50% of Orange County public school students rely on school meals as their primary source of nutrition, according to Ellie Dinh, Second Harvest Food Bank’s director of programs and services.
As a result, Second Harvest steps in to address food insecurity among children through its Kids Cafe program. With the collaboration of the organization’s long-standing partner, Meals on Wheels Orange County, Second Harvest provides no-cost meals from June to August to all kids up to 18 years old.
“We recognize that meals provided throughout the academic year offer reliability and stability for many families, and Second Harvest is committed to providing consistent access to nutrition for at-risk children all year long,” said Dinh.
The Kids Cafe program meets on most weekdays at 42 sites across the county. Tustin Family and Youth Center, Boys and Girls Club of San Juan Capistrano and Stanton Family Resource Center are a few of the many locations that participate in this program.
Second Harvest has many volunteer opportunities, said Dinh, specifically at Harvest Solutions Farm, in Second Harvest’s Distribution Center and through community food distributions at 250 community partners.
Second Harvest Food Bank is also hosting its second annual Walk to Feed OC, which will be taking place on Sept. 9 at Tanaka Farms in Irvine. This 1.5-mile, non-competitive event is “perfect for everyone,” said Dinh, and will help raise funds and awareness about nutritional and food insecurity in Orange County.
There are many summer meal programs available all across the county for children and families as well as throughout the school year as well.
Community Action Partnership of Orange County Food Bank is a resource for OC families and community members who would like more information on where to find food.
Laguna Food Pantry in Laguna Beach is open Monday through Friday and allows community members to shop for free groceries, no questions asked. The location is…
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