Summer Fun Café kicks off summer lunch service with barbeque

More than 2,000 people recently gathered at Skyline Hills Community Park to enjoy a barbeque and festival to kick off the Summer Fun Café Program.

This is the 10th year that San Diego Unified has partnered with the City of San Diego Department of Park and Recreation to provide meals and snacks during the summer at recreation centers in low-income neighborhoods.

In addition to the 28 recreation centers, there are 13 other community and military sites and 24 schools where any child can enjoy a summer meal. This is the first year that a library, Logan Heights, will host a Summer Fun Café. The location will be open through August 30, and has already attracted more than 65 children per day since it opened.

For a complete listing of Summer Fun Café sites go to www.sandi.net/food or call the 211 San Diego Info Line.

In addition to the barbeque, the event offered a variety of games and crafts for kids, resources for parents and a special visit from the program's mascot, the Power Panther, who shared his motto, "Eat Smart. Play Hard" with all the kids.

Network for a Healthy California organized the nutrition decathlon, which included games like watermelon weightlifting, string bean jump rope and cucumber javelin. Children who completed all 10 stations received a prize.

Another big draw for kids was the staff and vehicles from The San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Unified School District Police Department and the San Diego Fire Department.

The resource fair with over 40 community partners offered a wide variety of community resources to parents and children. The San Ysidro Health Clinic brought their new mobile clinic and offered health screenings. The San Diego Food Bank, Feeding America San Diego and Mother’s Nutritional Center all provided free fruits and vegetables to take home.

The Summer Fun Café is funded through the USDA’s Seamless Summer Feeding Option. No paperwork or income qualifications are required for children who participate. Last year, more than 307,000 meals and snacks were served to children through this program.

For more information about the Summer Fun Café contact Norma Johnson at njohnson4@sandi.net or 858-627-7308.