It’s the last day of the school year. The final bell rings as children rush off — ready for summer. For thousands of families in San Diego County, the last school bell of the year signifies the end of school-provided meals along with the San Diego Food Bank’s Food 4 Kids Backpack Program. These programs will resume at the start of the new school year, but what are families to do during the summer months to fill this nutritional gap for their children?
For parents like Ashley, whose 8-year-old daughter Sadie received these resources during the school year to help nourish her at school and over the weekend, she has to seek other options to help supplement their family’s already tight grocery budget.
“I’m a single mom. I work full time, and we are barely making ends meet at this point. The food coming home with us on Friday [through the San Diego Food Bank’s Food 4 Kids Backpack Program] had been a great help for us,” Ashley shares.
“With her [Sadie] being home all day, it will be rough because kids eat a lot, and they eat all day long. We’re now trying to figure out a plan for summer.”
The State of California does provide options for parents, including the SUN Bucks program, which gives families enrolled in CalFresh up to $120 per child in EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) money to help cover additional food costs during the summer months. However, there are income limits to receiving this state-provided benefit. Even though Ashley is a single parent, her full-time job as a medical records clerk is paying her just enough money to no longer qualify her household for this program.
“We used to be on Food Stamps [CalFresh], which really helped a lot. We recently got taken off of that. I had been on that since Sadie was born. Luckily, I got a good job and I get paid more now, which is the blessing in it. However, losing that extra income for food has been really, really rough for us,” says Ashley.
“Just because I am making good money living in San Diego and paying all of the necessary bills, doesn’t mean we don’t struggle. My rent is about two-thirds of what I make.”
She continues, “I’m trying to make sure she gets a balanced diet between juice and graham crackers while getting fruits and veggies in. When you can barely afford to buy groceries … it’s a balancing act.”
Ashley’s experience resonates with many local families working hard to make ends meet. Fortunately, the San Diego Food Bank and our network of community hunger-relief partners are always ready to help. This summer, Ashley plans to visit a nearby food distribution to supplement her food budget, ensuring she and her daughter Sadie have what they need to thrive and stay well-nourished.