Summer food program for kids kicks off Saturday

Bethany Brunelle
Las Cruces Sun-News
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LAS CRUCES - It's that time of year again for Las Cruces youth to enjoy free breakfasts and lunches at over 50 locations throughout Las Cruces. 

Saturday, organizers kicked off the annual program at Young Park, where they spent the afternoon registering kids for the program and serving attendees a delectable lunch of grilled burgers, chips, milk and other kid-friendly delicacies.

Kids also had the opportunity to stuff backpacks full of snacks they could eat at home, get their faces painted, enjoy music, and even win prizes, such as a bicycle, in a raffle. 

Providing summer nutrition to kids since 1993

Last year, Youth and Families Incorporated, along with community partners such as the Las Cruces Public Schools and the City of Las Cruces, served over 91,000 meals, summer meals plan coordinator Lorena Lozoya said.

Santiana Sanchez, 3, smiles after receiving her free lunch at Young Park, Saturday June 8, 2019.

"The summer food program is a child nutrition program. The program is geared to provide children with proper nutrition. Many times the children rely on school meals and our purpose is to provide both meals outside of school when their on vacation," she said. 

The free meals are available for children from ages 1 to 18, Lozoya said. 

"Basically, they just have to be here in line to receive the meal. We don't ask for income, we don't ask for anything. They just have to be present and in line to get the meal," she said. 

There's about 58 sites around Las Cruces where kids can get the meals. They'll also be available during movie-in-the-park events, she said. 

"Those include churches, community centers, schools and parks," Lozoya said. 

The meals are available during breakfasts five days a week, and on weekends during special events. 

"The meals do meet the USDA meal pattern requirement and they are nutritious and they provide nutritional value that's needed for the child to grow healthy and happy. Like I said, many of the kids rely on the school for that nutrition and when they're out of school they miss out, so we want to make sure that they continue to get that nutrition," Lozoya said. 

Families and Youth Inc. has been providing summer meals since 1993. It's a federally funded program, and the organization receives reimbursement for every meal served. 

"We definitely don't make any money for it. We have our vendors, they charge us an amount and we pay them what we get reimbursed, to make sure we provide that service out to the community," Lozoya said. 

Elisia Staton and Mitchell Allred prepare lunches for kids at Young Park, during the Families and Youth Inc. summer food kickoff event, Saturday, June 8, 2019.

Giving back

Having the opportunity to coordinate the summer food program is something Lodoya said she's blessed to do. 

As a child, Lozoya said things weren't always easy for her single parent household, so the summer food program was good for her family. 

"Being out in the park and having fun with my cousins and my siblings, we definitely partook and it was good for us, so it feels amazing to be able to do that for the community. It's rewarding and I love doing it," she said. 

This is her second summer coordinating the program. She also coordinates at-risk food programs for kids during the school year. 

For more information about the program, contact Lorena Lozoya at 522-4004.

Damian Castaneda, 7, Carlos Murguia 6, and Cayden Murgia 4, enjoy a free lunch at Young Park, during the Families and Youth Inc., summer food kickoff event, Saturday June 8, 2019.

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