Whether it be due to hardship stemming from the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic or otherwise, there are several no-questions-asked free summer lunch (and sometimes breakfast and snack) programs across the greater Los Angeles area.
We’ve gathered and compiled the information we could find here and will try to keep it updated if we find out more. If you have any insight into more options for others, then feel free to send us a DM on Instagram or an e-mail.
Most of the sites below have information available in English as well as Spanish. Also, for all of the below options, remember to maintain adequate physical distancing (6 or more feet) and to wear face coverings as per recommendation.
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Available June 1 through August 20. More information here. For each of the locations, check on the main site to ensure which time each location is open since they all vary.
Due to COVID-19, Grab and Go Meals will be offered for Summer Lunch 2020 at a total of 22 locations.
If you are unable to locate a summer lunch site near you from the above list, contact 2-1-1. For immediate assistance, contact the Food Bank’s Child Nutrition Department at 323.234.3030 ext. 203.
– Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, source
Breakfast and lunch
| AVBGC- Whitney Mac Center (Lancaster) | 45404 N. Division, Lancaster, CA 93535 |
| Carson BGC | 21502 Main St., Carson, CA. 90745 |
| Central City Neighborhood Partners (CCNP) | 501 S. Bixel Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017 |
| Bandini Park | 4725 Astor Ave. Commerce, CA 90040 |
| Mar Vista Gardens | 4901 Marionwood Dr, Culver City, 90230 |
| Our Saviour Center | 4316 Peck Rd., El Monte, CA. 91732 |
| Salvation Army South LA | 7651 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA. 90001 |
| All Peoples Community Center | 822 E. 20th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90011 |
| City of Commerce-Veterans Park | 6364 Zindell Ave, Commerce, CA 90040 |
| Regis House | 2212 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057 |
| St. Thomas the Apostle School | 2632 W. 15th St, Los Angeles, CA 90006 |
| Desert Sands Park | 39101 3rd Street East, Palmdale, CA 93550 |
| Eastman Healthy Start | 1316 S. Herbert Ave. Los Angeles, CA |
Only lunch
| Harbor Village | 981 Harbor Village Dr., Harbor City, CA 90710 |
| Project Access Resource Center | 2010 S. Batson Ave. #102, Rowland Heights, CA 91748 |
| San Fernando Valley BGC | 11251 Glenoaks Blvd., Pacoima, CA. 91331 |
| Barrio Action Youth & Family Center | 4927 Huntington Drive North, Suite 200, LA, CA 90032 |
| Brownson House | 1307 Warren St,Los Angeles, CA 90033 |
| Hands 4 Hope LA | 11210 Otsego St, North Hollywood, CA 91601 |
| Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy | 901 E Artesia Blvd, Compton, CA 90221 |
| YWCA-GLA Union Pacific Empowerment Center | 4315 Union Pacific Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90023 |
| Antelope Valley Partners for Health | 44226 10th Street West Lancaster, CA 93534 |
| Regis House | 2212 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057 |
| St. Thomas the Apostle School | 2632 W. 15th St, Los Angeles, CA 90006 |
| Desert Sands Park | 39101 3rd Street East, Palmdale, CA 93550 |
| Eastman Healthy Start | 1316 S. Herbert Ave. Los Angeles, CA |
LA County Library
For children 18 and under. From June 16 to August 7 and Tuesday – Friday from 12 to 1 P.M. More information here.
Lunch is available for no-contact pickup on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. There are no restrictions on family income.
Since 2015, LA County Library has been offering free, nutritious lunches to kids 18 and under with its Lunch at the Library program. It keeps children and teens nourished during the summer months, helping to ensure that kids return to school in the fall ready to learn.
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. This program is supported by a grant from the California State Library.
– LA County Library, source
Participating branches
- A C Bilbrew Library
- Angelo M. Iacoboni Library
- Baldwin Park Library
- Carson Library
- Compton Library
- El Camino Real Library
- El Monte Library
- Hawthorne Library
- Huntington Park Library
- La Puente Library
- Lake Los Angeles Library
- Lancaster Library
- Lawndale Library
- Leland R Weaver Library
- Lennox Library
- Los Nietos Library
- Lynwood Library
- Paramount Library
- Quartz Hill Library
- Rowland Heights Library
- San Fernando Library
- San Gabriel Library
- South Whittier Library
- West Covina Library
[Also on Stuff in LA: A list of painted wall art and murals in Los Angeles]
Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation
For children 18 and under. From June 16 to August 7 and from 12:30 to 1:30 P.M. More information here. Spanish flyer here. Mandarin flyer here.
Children and youth ages 18 and under receive a “grab and go” nutritious lunch and snack that include vegetables, fruits, seeds and healthy dairy products like milk, string cheese and yogurt, at 49 locations.
Due to health and safety restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, lunch and snack will be available for pick up only. Face coverings and physical distancing of six feet are required. For convenience, lunch and snack can be picked up simultaneously.
– LA County Parks & Recreation, source
Participating parks
Downloadable PDF flyer can be found here.
- Adventure Park
- Alondra Park
- Amigo Park
- Athens Park
- Belvedere Park
- Bethune Park
- Bodger Park
- Campanella Park
- Carolyn Rosas Park
- Carver Park
- Charles White Park
- Charter Oak Park
- City Terrace Park
- Dalton Park
- Del Aire Park
- East Rancho Dominguez Park
- El Cariso Park
- Enterprise Park
- Everett Martin Park
- Farnsworth Park
- Helen Keller Park
- Jackie Robinson Park
- Jesse Owens Park
- Ladera Park
- Lennox Park
- Loma Alta Park
- Manzanita Park
- Martin Park
- Mayberry Park
- Mona Park
- Obregon Park
- Pamela Park
- Pathfinder Park
- Pearblossom Park
- Rimgrove Park
- Roosevelt Park
- Rowland Heights Park
- Salazar Park
- San Angelo Park
- Saybrook Park
- Sorensen Park
- Steinmetz Park
- Stephen Sorensen Park
- Sunshine Park
- Ted Watkins Park
- Valleydale Park
- Victoria Park
- Vista San Gabriel Elementary
- Washington Park
The City of Inglewood
Inglewood seems to have additional offerings not previously mentioned from July 6 to August 21. See the below post from its Instagram account for more details.