The National School Lunch Program provides nutritionally balanced free and reduced price lunches to children of low income families in need. The summer time can be difficult for those families as children are not provided a healthy meal when school is out. The summer meal program helps to alleviate the stress of feeding children during the summer break.

Hesperia Unified School District is one of many districts in San Bernardino county that provides meals during the summer. The district Food and Nutrition Services started the summer with an exciting kick off lunch at Topaz Elementary, one of the meal sites. Over 300 children were served a nutritious meal and were provided enrichment activities for the whole family to enjoy.

All four UCCE programs were represented at the kick off  providing information and activities for families. EFNEP distributed  recipe cards, cutting boards and calendars for parents and signed parents up for the UCCE Connects to You distance learning pilot program. Children were given gardening gloves from the Happy Healthy Me curriculum to start growing vegetables at home.  Master Gardeners had a small space herb garden and vermicomposting demonstration as well as promoted the MG hotline and volunteer program. 4-H brought a live rabbit for children to pet, the living desert sensory station and the signs of animals present in the forest. Master Food Preservers promoted their public classes and had a tropical freezer jam tasting, it was a hit!