The Manteca Unified School District’s free Summer Meal Program featured several layers to it on Thursday.
For starters, the gathering at Mossdale Landing Park in Lathrop offered up hot-off-the-grill hamburgers cooked up by Thomas Laruta, who is in his sixth year of working in Nutrition Services.
He estimated flipping around 90 burgers for this barbecue, which made its return to the program after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for this lunch-time group.
The summer meals provided by MUSD are available to children ages 2 through 18. Youngsters are required to eat the meal on the premises with some exceptions – Nutrition Education Supervisor Stephanie Huff noted that the event of severe hot conditions may allow for take-out meals.
She said that attendance numbers were low during the first week of the summer break. The summer meal /barbecue at Woodward Park from a few days ago attracted 116 youngsters.
“We’re serving about 1,600 per day,” added Huff, who included the total numbers generated from the Manteca, Lathrop and Weston Ranch communities.
At Mossdale Landing Park, she had her three summer interns helping out in leading the fun activities for the children.
Sierra High sophomore Kamaria Wilson, Manteca High junior Nancy Plascencia Gomez and East Union High senior Jacqueline Simental caught wind of the internship via email and were thrilled at being selected for the summer program.
“It looked like a fun experience and an opportunity to save up for college,” Simental said.
Among the children participating in one of the group activities – in this case, a large colorful parachute needing plenty of hands to take control – were those in the MAEVE program.
Motherhood / Alliance / Equity / Village / Empowerment is non-profit, charitable organization that seeks to empower all who mother in support of one another and their communities. Tabatha McAnally spearheads the local chapter consisting of Manteca, Lathrop and Ripon. See www.wearemaeve.org for more information.
“We found out about the (MUSD Summer Meal Program) through social media,” McAnally said.
She’s looking forward to taking the group to another MUSD Nutrition Education summer program, Fresh Fruit & Veggies Fridays.
“This is to promote (the eating of) fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Huff, who pointed tout that those in attendance can have their names entered to win prizes in a weekly drawing by posting their favorite healthy snack on MUSD Nutrition Education social media (use #NEsummerfun on the Facebook or Instagram post).
The summer meal program will run from now through July 22.
The times and places are as followed:
*Manteca – 11-11:30 a.m., Diamond Oak Park, 1179 Pestana Ave.; Lincoln Park, 245 S. Powers Ave.; Woodward Park, 710 E. Woodward Park. 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Baccilieri Park, 154 Stockton St.; Sequoia Park, 868 Wawona St.; Shasta Park, 995 E. Edison St. 12:30-1 p.m., B&C Giles Park, 545 W. Alameda St.; Northgate Park, 1750 Hoyt Ln.; Roberts Estates Park, 1740 Rail St.
*Lathrop – 11-11:30 a.m., Mossdale Landing, 700 Towne Centre Dr.; 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Stanford Park, 450 Spartan Way; 12:30-1 p.m., Manuel Valverde Park, 15557 Fifth St.
*Stockton – 11-11:30 a.m., Smith Park, 2606 William Moss Blvd.; 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Paul E. Weston Park, 3603 EWS Woods Blvd.; 12:30-1 p.m., William Long Park, 4535 Woodchase Ln.
*Artessi Camp (July 8 through July 22) – 10-10:15 a.m., Artessi Camp 2, 777 W. Matthews Rd.; 10:20-10:35 a.m., Artessi Camp 3, 333 W. Matthews Rd.
More information is available by e-mailing shuff@musd.net.
