Brooke Binkowski
July 18, 2008
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Southland students don't have to give up free food with their homework. KPCC's Brooke Binkowski says the L.A. Unified School District and some Los Angeles parks will serve lunch all summer.

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Brooke Binkowski: The open-air lunch area at Cesar Chavez Elementary School swarmed with kids picking up meals on cardboard trays. These are dozens of about 500,000 students in the L.A. Unified School District who qualify for free lunches during the school year. The federally-funded Summer Food Service program distributes food when classes aren't in session. Ten-year-old Yvette Garcia had no complaints.

Yvette Garcia: I had chicken nuggets, orange juice, pickles, and fruit. It's better than school food.

Binkowski: This year's a little different because for the first time, the school district's partnered with L.A. city and county parks to provide more places where kids can eat in the middle of the day. At Cesar Chavez school, L.A. Unified Superintendent David Brewer donned an apron and a hairnet to serve chicken nuggets alongside his counterpart from L.A. City Recreation and Parks.

David Brewer: We're here as a partnership with them to provide free food to the community. Not only to the children but to the community. We actually provide free food for about 36,000 children and family members.

Binkowski: Families who wish to participate in the summer lunch program may call the county information line at 2-1-1.