While most students in LA County look forward to a break from school to relax or enjoy vacations with their families, unfortunately for some, the break from school also means an end to a reliable, healthy lunch meal each day.
According to a study by the County of Los Angeles Public Health, in 2015, food insecurity affected 29.2 percent of Los Angeles County households. Nationally, one in eight Americans suffer from food insecurity. Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) if a household experiences either a reduction in the quality, variety, or desirability of diet with little to no indication of reduce food intake, or reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.
In order to aid in the reduction of youth affected by food insecurity, LA County Library will provide nutritious lunch for kids and teens at 25 library locations, now through August 3, Monday – Friday, 12 – 1 p.m.
Lunch at the Library provides the meals to students free of charge while school is not in session, and with an increase to 25 library locations, up from 15 in 2017, the library system will be able to serve more lunches to youth this year.
As obesity levels continue to rise and access to nutritional food may be limited, the Library provides a safe space for kids and teens to visit during the summer for a wholesome meal. Library programing is also available before and after lunch is served, including the Summer Discovery Program, Adult 101, Storytime, and more.
“This will be the fourth consecutive year that LA County Library has provided free lunch. Over the past few years, we have provided over 34,000 lunches at our libraries, with last year’s Lunch at the Library program being our most successful yet, with 20,895 lunches served at 15 libraries,” said LA County Library Director, Skye Patrick. “The Library has grown into a community center that provides access to all, and I am excited to continue this partnership with the Parks Department as we continue to provide essential services to our customers.”
Lunch at the Library is a partnership between LA County Library and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, and is supported by the California Summer Meal Coalition and California Library Association.
The Lunch at the Library program is in effect at the following 25 locations:
A C Bilbrew Library
Artesia Library
Baldwin Park Library
City Terrace Library
Clifton M. Brakensiek Library
Duarte Library
East Rancho Dominguez Library
El Camino Real Library
El Monte Library
Gardena Library
Huntington Park Library
La Puente Library
Lake Los Angeles Library
Lancaster Library
Lawndale Library
Lennox Library
Littlerock Library
Los Nietos Library
Lynwood Library
Norwalk Library
Quartz Hill Library
San Fernando Library
San Gabriel Library
Sorensen Library
South Whitter Library
For more information, visit www.LACountyLibrary.org/SummerLunch.
