If your children get free lunches during the school year or you know someone who does, be sure to check out Fresno County's Summer Lunch program.
The cost of those extra lunches can really cut into the family budget during the summer, and we all want the children to have the best nutrition possible. Children 18 and under can go, and there's no registration. At dozens of sites around the county, healthful lunches are being served under the auspices of the Fresno County EOC and Fresno Unified and Fresno County School Districts. The Summer Food Program is sponsored by the USDA. Some locations also serve dinner or breakfast, too.
And while you are there, check into getting food stamps. We are losing millions in the Valley because people who qualify for food stamps aren't getting them. The better our nutrition, the better our health. This is especially true for children whose little brains need fuel to develop well -- not to mention Mom and Dad, who need to keep their strength up to work and chase energetic children all day.
To find the location nearest you or to inquire about food stamps, call the Food Resources Hotline at (800) 870-3663. The hours and start and end dates vary, so it's important to ask about that.
I think it is important for kids to have access to healthy meals however call me old fashioned but isn't that the parents responsibility to feed and take care of their children.
They don't need energy to chase after their children they need parenting classes sp they can teach them how to be our future leaders in America. They also need to stop having more when they can't take care of the ones they have already.
I also find that most kids don't like school lunches when they are in school and the only ones that eat are the ones that aren't being taken care of at home.
"The cost of those extra lunches can really cut into the family budget during the summer..."
A truth in advertising label should be attached to these "free" lunches and read: This food that is given to you is paid for by others who not only provide this food to you but often pay for their own children's food. They don't consider providing food for their own children as an "unusual or unexpected" expense, EVEN DURING THE SUMMER. These parents may rank feeding their children higher than movies, water parks, cell phones, liquor, and cigarettes. For additional more important expenses, ask your parents.
As another taxpayer with kids to feed, I would much rather see my tax dollars feeding hungry kids than lining the pockets of war profiteers.