ESCONDIDO (KGTV) — San Marcos is putting more than $1 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds to work for its most vulnerable residents.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the city just over $1 million to address a range of community needs.
$14,000 of that money is headed to the San Diego Food Bank to fund the "Food for Kids Backpack" program, which will feed 50 students in the San Marcos Unified School District over weekends.
Michael Minjares, grants management director with the San Diego Food Bank, said the program addresses a gap many students face when they leave school on Fridays.
"They often times are going home and not having a lot to eat, and they come back to school on Monday, really hungry, just not able to learn, not able to behave in the way that they'd like to, because they're simply looking for food and needing food."
Minjares said the goal is to keep students nourished so they are ready to succeed when the school week begins.
"And so, our idea is let's make sure that our kids have the nutrition that they need over the weekend, so they can come back to school Monday, ready to learn, ready to thrive and succeed," Minjares said.
Deputy Mayor Mike Sannella said the grant expands what the city can do for its residents.
"It gives us the added resources so we can do a little bit more for our community," Sannella said.
Along with fighting childhood hunger, the city is also investing money into a new HVAC system at a local senior activity center and working on infrastructure for phase two construction at Richmar Park.
Any remaining funds will go toward fair housing initiatives and senior transportation services.
Minjares said the investment will make a meaningful difference for some of the city's most at-risk children.
"We're very excited about what this will do to the community and allow us to support kids who are on free reduced-price meals, who oftentimes go home to empty cupboards over the weekend."
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