South San Francisco, CA June 8, 2017 
Once again this summer free lunches for kids up to 18 years of age will be distributed at Los Cerritos and Spruce Elementary Schools. The USDA has set up a handy website that offers locations across the US that will be serving free lunches to those under 18.
UPDATE Friday June 9, 2017: Thanks to Lisa McKay for this share on our social media-
Also Sunshine Gardens. This is from the flyer on the District Office page: South San Francisco Unified School District is providing
FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
For all children 18 years and under
From Monday – Friday
Breakfast: 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM
Lunch: 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM
At: Los Cerritos Elementary School, 210 W. Orange Ave, SSF from June 14 – July 20, 2017
At: Sunshine Gardens Elementary School, 1200 Miller Ave, SSF from June 14 – July 20, 2017
At: Spruce Elementary School, 501 Spruce Ave, SSF from June 14 – July 20, 2017
CLOSED ON TUESDAY JULY 4, 2017
“This Institution is an Equal Opportunity Provider”
To check for other locations CLICK HERE
In addition another South San Francisco neighbors has sent us this message (which we verified on SNOPES to be correct):
If you have a school-aged student in need of breakfast and lunch this summer, simply text “FOOD” to 877877 and receive a message back with a location closest to where they can get free summer meals. Please copy, paste, and post! Even if you aren’t in need, someone else’s kids are. No child deserves to go hungry, ever. This is a nationwide program so please repost for all of the children who are struggling to get enough food. I just tried it and it works, please pass this on! Thank you!
Please help other parents and guardians know about this program – pass it on!
Below is more information on the programs and services offered by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition.
Programs and Services
Last Published: 09/22/2016
This page contains useful information related to programs and services offered by Food and Nutrition Services.
Food Distribution Programs:
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) works to improve the health of low-income elderly persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods. Women, infants, and children who were certified and receiving CSFP benefits as of February 6, 2014, can continue to receive assistance until they are no longer eligible under the program rules in effect on February 6, 2014. Through CSFP, USDA distributes both food and administrative funds to participating States and Indian Tribal Organizations.
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
FDPIR is a Federal program that provides commodity foods to low-income households, including the elderly, living on Indian reservations, and to Native American families residing in designated areas near reservations.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
Under TEFAP, commodity foods are made available by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to States. States provide the food to local agencies that they have selected, usually food banks, which in turn, distribute the food to soup kitchens and food pantries that directly serve the public
Child Nutrition Programs :
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program plays a vital role in improving the quality of day care and making it more affordable for many low-income families. Each day, 2.6 million children receive nutritious meals and snacks through CACFP. The program also provides meals and snacks to 74,000 adults who receive care in nonresidential adult day care centers. CACFP reaches even further to provide meals to children residing in homeless shelters, and snacks and suppers to youths participating in eligible afterschool care programs.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program provides free fresh fruits and vegetables in selected low-income elementary schools nationwide. The purpose of the Program is to increase children’s fresh fruit and vegetable consumption and at the same time combat childhood obesity by improving children’s overall diet and create healthier eating habits to impact their present and future health.
National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
School districts and independent schools that choose to take part in the lunch program get cash subsidies and donated commodities from the USDA for each meal they serve. In return, they must serve lunches that meet Federal requirements, and they must offer free or reduced price lunches to eligible children. School food authorities can also be reimbursed for snacks served to children through age 18 in afterschool educational or enrichment programs.
School Breakfast Program (SBP)
The School Breakfast Program operates in the same manner as the National School Lunch Program. School districts and independent schools that choose to take part in the breakfast program receive cash subsidies from the USDA for each meal they serve. In return, they must serve breakfasts that meet Federal requirements, and they must offer free or reduced price breakfasts to eligible children.
Participating schools and institutions receive reimbursement from the USDA for each half pint of milk served. They must operate their milk programs on a non-profit basis. They agree to use the Federal reimbursement to reduce the selling price of milk to all children.
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
SFSP is the single largest Federal resource available for local sponsors who want to combine a feeding program with a summer activity program. Children in your community do not need to go hungry this summer. During the school year, nutritious meals are available through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. But those programs end when school ends for the summer. The Summer Food Service Program helps fill the hunger gap.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)
SNAP (formerly the Food Stamp Program) puts healthy food within reach for 28 million people each month via an EBT card used to purchase food at most grocery stores. Through nutrition education partners, SNAP helps clients learn to make healthy eating and active lifestyle choices.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children – better known as the WIC Program – serves to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, & children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.
Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
The WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables from local farmers’ markets to Women, Infants and Children (WIC) recipients
Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program awards grants to States, United States territories, and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments to provide low-income seniors with coupons that can be exchanged for eligible foods at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs.