School's out, and hungry school kids still have to eat. To meet the needs of children who normally enjoy a daily lunch at school, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is looking for volunteers to help out with the countywide Picnic in the Park program.
"It takes more than 300 volunteers to make this program successful," said Judith Smith-Meyer, who helps coordinate for the nonprofit, which feeds the more than 60 percent of children in the county who qualify for free or reduced lunches. The program started up on June 11 and runs Monday through Friday until August 10, with volunteers not only helping with lunch but also teaching recipes, nutrition information, crafts, and games.
Any child under the age of 18 can participate in the lunch program, and no income verification is required. This year, three sites in Santa Barbara feed kids downtown at the library, at St. Vincent Gardens, and at Isla Vista Apartments. North County sites include Los Alamos, Guadalupe, Lompoc, and Santa Maria. All 50 sites in the county serving meals as part of this program can be found by texting SUMMERFOOD to 877-877