Nutrition Center Continues To Feed Children During The Summer

School may be out for the summer, but the West Contra Costa Unified School District Nutrition Center is still open for business.

Last week, the center officially kicked off its annual Seamless Summer Feeding Program. The meal service the center provides will continue until the classroom bells start ringing again in September.

“People take vacations, but hunger doesn’t take a vacation,” said Barbara Jellison, the district’s director of food services.

During the summer, the nutrition center delivers lunch and a late afternoon snack to more than 50 locations within the district, including schools, YMCA facilities, churches and nonprofit organizations.

They will give food free of charge to any child 18 years of age or younger whether they are a student in the district or not.

Jellison said the main thrust is to make sure children from low-income families get nutritious food during the summer months when they are not receiving meals at school.

Workers arrive at the nutrition center in Richmond at 5 a.m. each work day to start preparing the 5,500 meals a day that are served during the summer months.

The packages contain items such as milk, sandwiches, cheese and fruit.

The operation increases in size during the school year.

The nutrition center’s 240 employees prepare and deliver 30,000 meals a day when classes are in session. About 8,000 of those are breakfasts, 18,000 are lunches and 4,000 are late afternoon suppers.

Almost 70 percent of the district’s students qualify for the program, which means they get their meals for free. About 86 percent of the students participate in the program. Those who don’t qualify but still participate pay $1.25 to $1.75 for breakfast and $2 to $2.50 for lunch.

The nutrition center is overseen by state education department under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Its $14 million annual budget is separate from the WCCUSD budget.

Jellison said it’s essential children get nutritious food to eat while they are attending school because you can’t learn if you’re hungry.

Breakfast, she said, is especially important for some children.

“We want them to start their day in the best way,” Jellison said.