No Kid Hungry California Gives More than $12 Million in Grants to Support Free Meals

Pasadena, Calif. – As part of its ongoing work to fight food insecurity and support families and kids during the COVID-19 pandemic, No Kid Hungry California has announced an additional $2.08 million in grants to nonprofits and schools across California providing free meals. Since March 2020, No Kid Hungry California has provided more than $12.1 million in grants to 206 school districts and community organizations to help ensure California families have food on the table, which also helps support students’ success in the classroom.  

“We know that offering healthy meals to all kids can help fight hunger and advance equity – two critically important goals of our state’s pandemic recovery – so we are thrilled to support the important work in communities across the state to ensure families have the food they need,” said No Kid Hungry California Director Kathy Salie. “Even amid the devastation caused by the pandemic, countless organizations, schools and volunteers stepped up to serve their communities, and we’re grateful not only for their tireless commitment and work but also for the opportunity to partner with such dedicated Californians.” 

This round of grants includes an additional 43 grants totaling $2,088,036 for schools and nonprofits across California to provide nutritious meals for children. The grants will further the efforts to decrease food insecurity during COVID-19 by funding food drives, meal services, and other related programs. This brings California one step closer to making school meals a resource for everyone.

San Lorenzo Unified School District 

San Ysidro School District 

Sick N’ Tired Sobriety and Transformation Recovery Home (San Bernardino, CA)  

Stockton Unified School District 

Sweetwater Union High School District (Chula Vista, CA)  

Visalia Unified School District 

El Monte-South El Monte Emergency Resources Association 

Esperanza Community Farms (Watsonville, CA)  

Inland Congregations United for Change (San Bernardino, CA)  

Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (Oxnard, CA)  

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services 

San Bernardino City Unified School District 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside 

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor 

Celebration Nation Inc (San Jose, CA)  

City of Pico Rivera 

Kern High School District (Bakersfield, CA)  

Morongo Unified School District 

Ontario-Montclair School District 

Palm Springs Unified School District 

Riverside County Office of Education 

Sacramento City Unified School District 

YPI Charter Schools (Granada Hills, CA)  

Apple Valley Unified School District 

Help Me Help You (Long Beach, CA)  

Imperial Valley Food Bank 

Pomona Unified School District 

Rialto Unified School District 

San Marcos Unified School District 

Santa Barbara Summer Meals Collaborative 

Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County (Irvine, CA)  

The Los Angeles Academy of Arts and Enterprise 

Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District 

YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles 

El Rancho Unified School District (Pico Rivera, CA)  

Escondido Union School District  

Palo Verde Unified School District (Blythe, CA)  

Vallecitos School District (Rainbow, CA)  

No Kid Hungry California was among the broad coalition of advocates supporting California’s launch of a statewide universal school meals program. Recently, No Kid Hungry hosted a virtual lunch and learn for Capitol staff and reporters to hear firsthand how school districts rose to the challenge of feeding kids during the pandemic. To learn the main takeaways of the event and to watch the recording of the webinar go to:  https://state.nokidhungry.org/california/2021/06/01/recap-5-takeaways-from-leveraging-the-power-of-school-meals-to-end-child-hunger-lessons-learned-during-covid-19/