Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County announced the return of its annual summer food program that provides free, healthy lunches and snacks to children who are 18 years of age or younger across Orange County. The program is part of the Food Bank’s Kids Cafe Program, with summer funding coming from the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program.

Starting on May 29, families who relied on the free breakfasts and lunches at school have a resource during the summer,with no registration, paperwork or eligibility requirements. This program will operate at 49 sites throughout the county – giving easy access to families in need. To find the nearest open site, individuals can call 211 or text 898211 to inquire about distribution hours.

“One in eight children in Orange County is food insecure, so we want to ensure that families know this resource is available to them once school campuses close for the summer,” said Claudia Bonilla Keller, CEO, Second Harvest. “We want to give families one less thing to worry about and ensure their children have fuel to make the most out of their summer.”

Lunches and snacks provided by Second Harvest meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutrition guidelines and consists of items such as grilled chicken sandwiches, breakfast biscuit sliders, hummus & pita, yogurt parfaits, whole grain bagels with cheese and sliced turkey, and whole grain muffins with fruit. The meals are prepared and delivered to distribution sites Monday through Friday by Meals on Wheels Orange County, a trusted local nonprofit organization. 

This initiative highlights Second Harvest and Meals on Wheels Orange County’s investment into Orange County’s future generations. By making sure children in need have access to fresh, nourishing food, these nonprofits help them grow both physically and mentally – positively impacting their families and communities in the process.  

In fiscal year 2023-2024, Second Harvest distributed 35.8 million pounds of food throughout Orange County and served 140,000 children per month. Additionally, last summer, nearly 54K lunches and over 31K snacks were served to children through our summer program. 

“Summer meals through Kids Cafe are such a lifeline for our families,” said Jacquelynn Hernandez, Program Administrative Coordinator at KidWorks Orange County. “Not only do they help ease the financial burden of groceries during the summer months, but they also bring a sense of stability and care that our students really need when school is out. We’ve seen how something as simple as lunch can create moments of connection and remind kids they’re seen and supported by their community.”

Below are a few of the sites:

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027 (PDF), found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866-632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; fax: 202-690-7442; or

email: Program.Intake@usda.coy.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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About Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County

At Second Harvest Food Bank, our vision is an Orange County with food and nutritional security for all. In collaboration with our partners, we provide dignified, equitable and consistent access to nutritious food, creating a foundation for community health. Our partner network includes houses of worship, schools, after-school programs, colleges and universities, senior centers, shelters for the unhoused, soup kitchens and transitional housing facilities, with sites at 343 locations throughout the county. In fiscal year 2023-2024, we distributed 35.8 million pounds of food to an average of 442,154 neighbors in need each month. Approximately 50,000-60,000 pounds of produce is harvested each week at the 40-acre Harvest Solutions Farm in Irvine, a collaboration with Solutions for Urban Agriculture and the University of California South Coast Research & Extension Center begun in August 2021. Second Harvest is a member of the Feeding America network and was named one of Orange County’s 2023 Top Workplaces by the Orange County Register. For more information, visit feedoc.org.