By Ana Gomez Salcido 
Northgate Gonzalez Markets partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to promote the Summer Meals Program, which is free to children and teens 18 and under.
“This program exists since the ‘70s, but there are still people that don’t know about it, or don’t know where to go,” said Jesus Mendoza Jr., Regional Administrator of Food and Nutrition Services for the USDA. “One of the beautiful things of this partnership is that the information on how to get a nutritious meal is going to be available.”
Mendoza also went on to say that there is no subscription needed to receive a free meal.
“The partnership with the local supermarket chain consists in promoting the Summer Meals Program in Spanish at the different stores, including in displays and on the stores’ weekly ads to help the Hispanic community to know about the program,” explained the Vice-president and Owner of Northgate Gonzalez Market, Victor Gonzalez,
The program will be promoted at all of the Northgate Gonzalez Market stores in San Diego County, from San Ysidro to Fallbrook.
The partnership was announced this Monday, June 27, at one of the eight Northgate Gonzalez Market sites in San Diego County, with the presence of community leaders including San Diego City Councilman David Alvarez.
“There is a great necessity not only in San Diego, but throughout the country. We thank the USDA for providing this program,” said Alvarez. “I think that with Northgate Gonzalez Markets working together with the USDA and the San Diego Unified School District we are going to be able to meet this years goal.”
“Last year, 250,000 free meals and snacks were served in San Diego County with this program,” said Corrie King, a San Diego Unified School District FoodCorps Service Member. “The goal this year is to serve 300,000 free meals and snacks.”
“Thanks to Northgate Gonzalez Market we can promote this program so more kids and families can take advantage of the Summer Meal Program,” added King.
There are over 160 different sites where kids and teens 18 and under can get a free meal or snack during the summer months in San Diego County, and to find a location, people can call 2-1-1.