FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2020
Contact: Jessica Ng | jng@mercuryllc.com | 510-508-2836
No Kid Hungry Provides More Than $1 Million in Grants to California Nonprofits, Schools Serving Free Meals Amid Wildfires, COVID-19 Pandemic
Pasadena, Calif. – As part of its ongoing effort to support the millions of California students who rely on school meals – even while most public school students are doing distance learning – No Kid Hungry California today announced providing more than $1 million in grant funding to help schools and nonprofit organizations continue providing meals to families in need.
“With nearly 2.2 million California kids expected to face hunger this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s critically important that we continue supporting the school nutrition programs and nonprofit organizations that are helping kids get the nutrition they need – whether they are learning in the classroom or from home,” said No Kid Hungry California Director Kathy Saile. “The outlook for schools, students and families is ever-changing; these grants will help the hard-working staff and volunteers who are continually finding innovative ways to feed students and families in communities across the state.”
Since the beginning of the school year, No Kid Hungry California has provided 16 grants totaling $1,057,772 to organizations that are helping ensure children across California stay healthy and nourished. These grants include $50,000 in support to help food banks buy and distribute food and water to families affected by the Creek Fire and wildfires in Sonoma County. Other grants will help schools purchase equipment and maintain flexibility to serve meals safely across a variety of different service models, which is particularly important as some schools transition from distance learning to in-classroom education:
- Pomona Unified School District
- Rosemead Unified School District
- Rotary Club of Sin Fronteras
- San Jacinto Unified School District
- Pueblo Unido CDC
- Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services
- Sacramento City Unified School District
- Boys and Girls Club of Bakersfield
- Palo Verde Unified School District
- Paramount Unified School District
- Long Beach Unified School District
- Operation Food Distribution
- Coalinga Huron Unified School District
- Riverside Unified School District
- Central California Food Bank
- Redwood Empire Food Bank
Since the beginning of the pandemic, No Kid Hungry California has provided nearly $4.5 million in grants to California nonprofits and schools serving meals to children and families in need. The campaign has also advocated in support of $192 million in funding for emergency school meals provided by the California State Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom and for extending U.S. Department of Agriculture waivers, increasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (CalFresh) benefits, and expanding Pandemic-EBT benefits that ensure kids who rely on school meals can still get the food they need during this crisis. According to a report from Feeding America, California is expected to see a bigger increase in child food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic than any other state in the nation, with a total of 2.2 million kids in the state who could face hunger this year.