Where can kids get free meals in SLO County this summer?

Schools may be closed for summer, but that doesn’t mean San Luis Obispo County students have lost access to essential free or reduced-cost lunch programs.

Many families rely on these resources through the California Department of Education’s California Universal Meals Program, which provides students with free meals on school days.

Approximately 12% of kids in San Luis Obispo County struggle with food insecurity, according to Feeding America, a nonprofit network of food banks through the U.S.

To fill the gap during the summer, schools, nonprofit organizations and others are stepping in to help feed San Luis Obispo County kids over the break, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA offers a free, online tool to help families locate sites that provide children with free meals throughout the year.

Additionally, the San Luis Obispo Food Bank offers neighborhood food distribution for free to income-eligible participants. The distribution calendar can be found at www.slofoodbank.org.

Here’s a look at the locations that are serving meals this summer:

Where kids can get free meals in SLO County

San Luis Obispo, Los Osos and Morro Bay

• San Luis Obispo High School, 1499 San Luis Drive: Breakfast from 10 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 12:45 p.m.
• Hawthorne Elementary, 2125 Story St.: Breakfast from 9 to 10 a.m. and lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Sinsheimer Elementary, 2755 Augusta St.: Breakfast from 10 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 12:45 p.m.
• C.L. Smith Elementary, 1375 Balboa St.: Breakfast from 9 to 10 a.m. and lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Monarch Grove Elementary, 348 Los Osos Valley Road: Breakfast from 10 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 12:45 p.m.
• Baywood Elementary, 1330 Ninth St.: Breakfast from 9 to 10 a.m. and lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Morro Bay High, 235 Atascadero Road: Breakfast from 10 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 12:45 p.m.
• Del Mar Elementary, 501 Sequoia St.: Breakfast from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Paso Robles

• George H. Flamson Middle, 2405 Spring St.: Breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Lillian Larsen Elementary, 1601 L St.: Breakfast from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 1 p.m.
• Canyon Creek Apartments, 400 Oak Hill Road: Breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  
  
• Creston Gardens, 1255 Creston Road: Breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Boys and Girls Club of Paso Robles, 3301 Oak St.: Breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

South County

• Grover Beach Elementary, 365 South 101 St.: Breakfast from 7:30 to 8 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 12:30 p.m.
• Fairgrove Elementary, 2101 The Pike: Breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Harloe Elementary, 901 Fair Oaks Ave.: Breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 12:30 p.m.
• Arroyo Grande High, 495 Valley Road: Breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and lunch from 12:30 to 1 p.m.
• Nipomo High, 525 North Thompson Road: Breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 12:30 p.m.
• Nipomo Elementary, 190 East Price St.: Breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 12:30 p.m.
• Dana Elementary, 920 West Tefft St.: Breakfast from 7:30 to 8 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 12:30 p.m.

This story was originally published June 15, 2023 at 9:00 AM.

Lucy Peterson

The Tribune

Lucy Peterson is a reporting intern for The Tribune. She’s originally from Omaha, Nebraska, and graduated from Fordham University in May 2022. She recently earned a Master’s in Journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in May 2023.