{"id":18327,"date":"2025-11-30T22:33:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T22:33:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/california\/?p=18327"},"modified":"2025-12-01T21:38:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T21:38:59","slug":"summer-spotlight-series-coachella-valley-usd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/california\/summer-spotlight-series-coachella-valley-usd\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Spotlight Series: \u201cWhy Not?\u201d Feeding Kids Across the Coachella Valley During the Hungriest and Hottest Time of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n
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\u201cWe saw this as an opportunity to fill that (hunger) gap.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/em>– Carlos Murta, director of school nutrition services<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”18331″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n

CVUSD Nutrition Professionals and the No Kid Hungry team at a summer meal site in Thermal, CA.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]Beyond its famous music festivals and golf courses, the Coachella Valley region is a significant agricultural hub and encompasses vibrant communities from Palm Springs to the Salton Sea.\u00a0 Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) serves a significant portion of this region, providing education and nutrition to thousands of students across its elementary, middle and high schools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOver 92% of CVUSD students are socio-economically disadvantaged, with many relying on school meals as their primary source of healthy food,\u201d states Carlos Murta, school nutrition services director. “<\/span>Whatever last meal we provide on a Friday supper, may be the very last healthy meal a kid may have until Monday morning for the next breakfast that we offer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At CVUSD, school nutrition services have been proactive in addressing food insecurity among its students, particularly during the summer months. Traditionally, summer meal programs have relied on a \u201ccongregate\u201d model, where children gather at specific sites to receive and eat their meals.<\/span><\/p>\n

In recognizing the challenges some families face in accessing these sites\u2014due to transportation barriers, distance to sites, the blistering desert summer heat, or other logistical hurdles\u2014CVUSD has embraced innovative solutions to ensure continuous access to nutritious food year round.<\/span><\/p>\n

One such solution is the summer rural non-congregate meal program. This program is specifically designed to reach students in more remote or sparsely populated areas of the Coachella Valley, where access to traditional congregate sites might be limited.\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]District Summer Meal Service Overview:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n