COSTA MESA : Demand for School Meals Is Higher Than Expected
A third more children than expected are taking advantage of a federally funded summer meals program for low-income families, administrators of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District said.
Carolyn Stocker, the district’s executive director of business and auxiliary operations, said that officials anticipated serving 550 meals a day, based on last year’s total, but have been serving about 775 meals a day.
Because participating families are not required to offer proof of their need, Stocker said, there is no way to measure whether more families are in dire financial straits this year or if more people are hearing about the program than in the past.
“Any child between the ages of 1 and 18 who arrives at one of our locations is entitled to be served,” Stocker said.
Most participants are elementary school age, she said.
All of the school district’s program sites--Parsons, Pomona, Sonora and Whittier elementary schools and Lions Park--are in Costa Mesa. All sites offer lunches, and two, Pomona school and Lions Park, also serve breakfast.
Demand is greatest at Pomona school, officials said, where the district’s education program for families of migrant workers is based.
Most participants at Whittier and Sonora schools are enrolled in city-sponsored recreation programs, Stocker said.
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