When school lets out, the kitchen at home doesn’t always fill up the same way. That’s where Sacramento City Unified steps in—and they’re doing it the right way.
Starting Monday, June 22, SCUSD Nutrition Services is running its Summer Food Service Program across more than 50 locations throughout Sacramento, offering completely free breakfast and lunch to any child or teen 18 years old and younger. No application. No income verification. No enrollment requirement. Just show up hungry, and you’re fed. Breakfast runs from 7:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., with lunch service starting at noon. Most sites operate through July 17, though some extend through July 31.
What makes this different from a lot of summer programs is the commitment to quality. David Josie, who oversees the Central Kitchen for SCUSD, explained that during the school year the district serves about 25,000 lunches and 10,000 breakfasts daily across 80 school sites. In summer, that number drops by roughly 90 percent—but the standard doesn’t drop at all. Staff at locations like Oak Ridge Elementary arrive around 7 a.m. to prepare hot meals from scratch. No preservatives, no corners cut. The Central Kitchen team has spent the last four years building momentum on this mission, and they’re using the summer months to experiment with new dishes, testing what might land on next year’s regular menu.
Food insecurity isn’t just a number on a policy brief—it’s real, and it hits hardest when school cafeterias close. Summer programs like this one bridge that gap. For families with limited resources, SCUSD’s commitment to keeping kids fed and fueled means something concrete: one less worry in the morning, one less reason for a child to sit through summer days on an empty stomach.
If you’ve got kids in the area, check with SCUSD Nutrition Services for the complete list of participating sites and their specific hours. The meals must be eaten on site, but they’re built to actually nourish—the kind of food that respects both the kids eating it and the families who can’t always afford it.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
