2015 Summer Box Lunch Program Launched in Tri-Valley

The end of the school year doesn’t mean the end of lunches for kids.

Open Heart Kitchen, the only hot meal program in the Tri-Valley area, has launched the 2015 Summer Box Lunch Program at seven sites in the Tri-Valley in June and July.

The program, which serves 17 Tri-Valley school locations during the school year, extends into the summer and is also provided on weekends at the seven Summer Box Lunch sites, which are located in Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton. The weekend summer box lunch provides two healthy meals for children from low-income families each Friday afternoon. A list of Summer Box Lunch Program locations and dates is attached.

“We’ve found that many children who access the free school lunch program during the week also benefit from a weekend delivery to fill a nutritional gap over those two days,” according to OHK Executive Director Linda McKeever.

Each Summer Box Lunch includes a kid-friendly assortment with a shelf-stable milk box, a low-sugar juice box, a low-sugar granola or protein bar, a bag of mini carrots, a high fiber muffin, whole grain crackers, and two pieces of fresh fruit or one piece of fresh fruit and one fruit cup.

Open Heart Kitchen feeds the hungry every weekday as an interfaith effort, and serves more than 313,000 meals annually. There is no qualifying process to receive meals. Meals can be eaten at OHK’s multiple serving sites, or taken to go. OHK works in cooperation with the Alameda County Community Food Bank, more than a dozen local food pantries, and various Tri-Valley non-profits with missions to promote nutrition and hunger relief.

PLEASANTON:

• Pleasanton Library
• 400 Old Bernal Ave, Pleasanton
• Thursdays 12-1pm (6/25/15 - 8/20/15

• Alisal Elementary School
• 1454 Santa Rita Rd, Pleasanton
• Thursdays 12:30pm (6/25/15 – 7/23/15)

LIVERMORE:

• Jackson Avenue Elementary School
• 554 Jackson Ave, Livermore
• Thursdays 12:30pm (7/2/15 – 7/23/15)

• Marilyn Avenue Elementary School
• 800 Marilyn Ave, Livermore
• Thursdays 12:30 (7/2/15 – 7/16/15)

• Vineyard Christian Fellowship Church
• 460 North Livermore Ave, Livermore
• Thursdays and Fridays 12-6pm (6/25/15 – 8/21/15)

DUBLIN:

• Frederiksen Elementary School
• 7243 Tamarack Drive, Dublin
• Thursdays 12:30pm (6/25/15 – 7/16/15)

• Camellia Place
• 5450 DeMarcus Blvd, Dublin
• Thursdays 12:30 – 1:30pm (6/25/15 – 8/20/15)