Simply feeding kids in the summer to make sure they don’t hungry isn’t enough for the Manteca Unified Nutritional Education program.
They are distributing free books to kids as well as staging rotating barbecues with the added catch of helping inform kids about good nutrition and families about options they have to help prepare kids for the classroom who are nearing school-age.
The barbecue such as the one last week at Woodward Park provides a demonstration on how kids can eat healthier. The Woodward Park BBQ demonstration showed how they can make salsa out of fresh vegetables.
The barbecues also include family activities such s face painting, hula hoops, and music. Also representatives of Head Start and First Five of San Joaquin are on hand to assist and provide information to families about their respective programs.
District leaders have noted students who have good nutritional meals and aren’t hungry are better behaved, have better attention, and retain more of what they learn. Retention of learning is one of the driving forces behind the federal effort to make sure kids have at least one nutritional meal Monday through Friday during the summer.
The Summer Seamless Program  for ages 2 to 18 at 32 locations in Manteca, six locations in  Latrhop, five locations in Weston Ranch and one in French Camp is serving 2,500 youth daily on a Monday through Friday schedule through July 31. There are no lunches served on Monday, July 4, due to the holiday.
Even though the reason Manteca Unified qualified for the federal program is due to the high number of free and reduced meals it serves, there is no income eligibility requirements or need to register or show identification for a youth to obtain a free sack lunch. Lunches are delivered in vans with the Manteca USD-Nutrition Education logo on them.
Typically the sack lunch consists of a sandwich, stone fruit, vegetables and milk. Pizza is served on Fridays.
At one point last school year , 11,860 or 49.3 percent of the district’s 23,000 students received free meals. That dropped in March to 11,618 or 48.58 percent.
Students receiving reduced meals went down from 11.98 percent or 2,845 or 11.18 percent or 2,673. Overall 61 percent of all students received free or reduced meals.
The drops came despite state-level changes that expanded eligibility rules.
Upcoming BBQs are today at 11 a.m. at Union West Park and 12:30 p.m. at Raymus Village Park Library; Thursday at 11 a.m. at Chadwick Park and 12:30 p.m. at Weston Ranch Library; July 5 (Tuesday) at 11:30 a.m. at the Manteca High pool and noon at Valverde Park; July 6 (Wednesday) at 11 a.m. at Northgate Park and 12:30 p.m. at Smith Park; July 7 (Thursday) 11:30 a.m. at Weston Park and noon at Baccilleri Park; July 11 (Monday) at 11:30 a.m. at Doxey Park and noon at Shasta Park; July 12 (Tuesday) at 11 a.m. at Generations Center and 12:30 p.m. at Woodward Park; July 13 (Wednesday) at 11:30 a.m. at Sangalang Park and 12:30 p.m. at Sandpiper Village Apartments; July 14 (Thursday) at 11:30 a.m. at Libby Park and 12:30 p.m. at Lincoln Park; July 18 (Monday) 11:30 a.m. at the Manteca Boys & Girls Club and noon at Long Park; and July 19 (Tuesday) at 11 a.m. at St. George Park and 12:30 p.m. at Library Park.
Manteca locations for the summer lunch program are as follows:
11 to 11:20 a.m. — Quail Ridge Park on Mission Ridge Drive, Sequoia Park on Wawona Street, Tesoro Park on Tesoro Drive, Chadwick Square Park on London Avenue, Springtime Park on Springtime Avenue, Hildebrand Park on Pine Street, Northgate Park on Hoyt Lane, Union West Park on Parkview Street
11:30 to 11:50 a.m. — Doxey Park on Northgate Drive, Colony Park on Trailwood Avenue, Manteca High swimming pool, St. Francis Park on Devonshire Avenue, Graystone Park on Agate Avenue, Giles Memorial Park next to the Boys & Girls Club on Alameda Street, ,  Villa Ticino Park on Geneva Way, Primavera Park on Primavera Avenue
Noon to 12:20 p.m. — Rodini Park on Lucio Street, Springport Park on Pestana Avenue, Franciscan Park on Elm Avenue, Baccileri Park on Stockton Street, Shasta Park on Edison Street, Morenzone Ballfield on Center Street, Roberts Estates Park on Rail Street, Mayors Park on Kelley Drive
12:30 to 12:50 p.m. —  Raymus Park on Apache Drive, Sandpiper Village on Pennebaker Avenue,  Cotta Park on Mission Ridge Drive,  Lincoln Park on Powers Avenue,  Diamond Oaks Park on Pestana Avenue, Spreckels BMX Park on Spreckels Avenue,  Woodward Park on Woodward Avenue,  Library Park on Center Street,
Lathrop locations are:
11 to 11:20 a.m. — Mossdale Landing Park on Towne Center Drive,  Generations Park across from Lathrop High
11:30 to 11:50 a.m. — Libby Park on Libby Lane, Sangalang Park on Slate Street
Noon to 12:20 p.m. — Valverde Park on Fifth Street
12:30 to 12:50 p.m. — Park West Park on Shelter Cove Circle
Weston Ranch locations are:
11 to 11:20 a.m. — St. George Parish, 144 W. Fifth St.
11:30 to 11:50 a.m. — Paul E. Weston Park on EWS Woods Boulevard
Noon to 12:20 p.m. — Long Park on Woodchase Lane
12:30 to 12:50 p.m. — Weston Ranch Library on French Camp Road,  Smith Park on William Moss Boulevard
The French Camp location is from noon  to 12:30 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Church on French Camp Road.
If you have questions contact Nutrition Education at 858.0778.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com