Oside library helps tackle food insecurity

A state program allocates funds for programs, while community partnerships deliver meals to local kids as part of a summer program

The Oceanside Library’s Lunch at the Library program helps address food insecurity for kids and their families during the summer. Courtesy photo

OCEANSIDE — A food program through the city’s library has been a force and a much-needed respite for thousands of residents.

The Oceanside Lunch at the Library has doubled its reach from 2023 to 2024, according to Lisa Ferneau-Haynes, senior librarian of youth services. The city partners with the Boys and Girls Club of Oceanside, Oceanside Unified School District and Feeding San Diego as those three entities distribute food to school children during the summer months to address food insecurity.

Additionally, the city uses grants from the California State Library to fund programming and interns, she said. Ferneau-Haynes said the program strives to deliver healthy food and engaging activities for kids, many of whom who live in food deserts, whose families struggle to afford healthy food and who qualify for free meals during the school year.

Lunch at the Library is a bridge program from the end of the school year to the beginning of the next year. The program runs Monday through Friday from the Monday after the last day of school through mid-August, she said. However, the library is partnering with the Boys and Girls Club to launch an after-school meal program in October.