Staff Report

The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County will host the children’s summer lunch program, Picnic in the Park, offering free healthy lunches for kids 18 and under Monday through Friday from June 8 to August 7 (June 16 to August 14 in Carpinteria) at 10 locations countywide. Due to Covid-19 safety recommendations, lunches will be offered “Grab & Go”-style, for pickup and eating off-site. 

Lunches are served on a first-come first-served basis as part of the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program and there are no income requirements to participate. All children under the age of 18 are encouraged to attend. (See below for details on locations and times.)

Community members who wish to provide meals to children facing hunger during the summer may donate and sign up to volunteer at www.FoodbankSBC.org.

Thanks to the Foodbank’s partnership with No Kid Hungry, information about all locations where children can receive free lunch this summer may be found by texting “SUMMERFOOD” to 877-877 and entering an address to find the nearest lunch locations. Details are also available at the app CA Meals for Kids and at foodbanksbc.org.

Picnic in the Park locations —at easily accessible parks, libraries and churches — are operated by volunteers who provide lunches and help ensure kids are protected from community transmission of coronavirus through the use of sanitizer, physical distancing and the use of PPE among adults and volunteers.

Volunteers are needed to serve lunches in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. Volunteers must be 14 years of age or older and commit to either an entire week or one day weekly for two hours around noontime. More details about volunteering can be found below.

The Foodbank is working this year with Revolution Foods to provide fresh, plant-rich, kid-friendly lunches prepared with fresh ingredients. Lunches include whole fruits, veggies and milk daily. Sample entrées include chicken picnic salad, turkey wraps, flatbread pizza and sliders.

Picnic in the Park locations in the South County include:

  • Santa Barbara Public Library, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, 40 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara
  • Carpinteria Middle School, 12:30-1:30 pm, 5351 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria
  • Canalino School, 12:30-1:30 pm, 1480 Linden Ave., Carpinteria

Picnic in the Park locations in the North County include:

  • Arrellanes Jr. High School, 11 am-12:30 pm, 1890 Sandalwood Dr., Santa Maria
  • Tunnell Park, 11:30 am-12:45 pm, 1100 N. Palisade Dr., Santa Maria
  • Minami Park, 11:30 am–12:30 pm, 600 W. Enos Dr., Santa Maria
  • Grogan Park, 12-1 pm, 1155 W. Rancho Verde, Santa Maria
  • St. Anthony Church, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, 270 Helena St., Los Alamos
  • Solvang Elementary School, 12:15-1:15 pm, 565 Atterdag Rd, Solvang

Though group activities at the locations are prohibited due to Covid-19 restrictions, activity books and online nutrition education will be available to children who participate in Picnic in the Park.

The Foodbank is currently seeking volunteers in both North and South Counties to help us manage lunch sites between June 8 and  August 7 in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara, and between June 16 and August 14 in Carpinteria. 


Ideal Site Volunteers:

  • Are able to commit – as an individual or organization – to at least one two-hour lunch shift per week or for a week of lunches at a time (ex: come every Wednesday or pick a week and come M-F) to provide continuity.
  • Available for approximately two hours, start to finish, during lunchtime on weekdays during the summer.
  • Willing to undergo a brief criminal background check and able to complete an online training prior to their first shift. 

Individuals interested in volunteering, visit: foodbanksbc.org/give-help/volunteer/

Picnic in the Park is sponsored by Altrusa International, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Central Coast Agriculture, Inc., Chevron, Crown Point Vineyards, Save Mart Supermarkets, and hundreds of generous individual donors.

About the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County

The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is transforming hunger into health by eliminating food insecurity through good nutrition and food literacy. The Foodbank provides nourishment and education through a network of more than 300 nonprofit community partners and more than 1,500 volunteers. In Santa Barbara County, one in four people receive food support from the Foodbank, which equates to more than 190,000 unduplicated people, 40% of whom are children. Last year, the Foodbank distributed 10 million pounds of food – nearly half of which was fresh produce. The Foodbank is assuming a major leadership role in countywide disaster preparedness with initiatives including a host of Covid-19 response programs, disaster food boxes, disaster feeding plan, establishing a new south county warehouse and updating our trucks for safer food storage and transport. For more information, visit www.foodbanksbc.org.