By Macy Meinhardt, V&V Staff Writer, CA Local News Fellow
More than 100,000 children in San Diego have limited access to fresh and healthy food in San Diego County. During the academic year K-12 schools across the county work to fill that gap by providing over 50% of students with free or reduced meals, according to the California Department of Education. Now that summer is here, how will child food insecurity be addressed?
Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food insecurity is largely linked to racial inequities. Based on a study by Feeding San Diego, 24% of the Black community in San Diego are food insecure, followed behind 18% of the Latino Community.
“When school is out for summer break, a large number of kids lose access to the healthy meals they rely on during the school year,” said San Diego Unified’s Food and Nutrition Services Director Alicia Pitrone Hauser. “Summer meals ensure all children have consistent access to the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow — and this makes children be better prepared to start another school year.”
As a result, Voice & Viewpoint has compiled a list of over 70 different sites within the county that are serving as nutrition hubs this summer to provide free breakfast, lunch, and snacks to children and teens.
Find a comprehensive list of 2025 Summer Meal Sites in San Diego County by visiting the California Department of Education website at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/sh/sn/ap/summersites.asp?year=2025&countyname=San_Diego.
