SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - For the thousands of San Diego children who rely on school meals, summer can be a struggle to get enough food.
However, there are free meals to be had across the city, and it's easier than ever to find them with a quick text message.
The summer meals program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A national nonprofit, No Kid Hungry, has set up a texting service to help raise awareness of the program and help parents find locations near them.
Anyone interested can text the word FOOD or COMIDA to the number 877-877. Type in an address and a list of locations nearby that offer free meals for children in the summer will be sent.
10News tested some addresses and found some inconsistencies. Some of the dates are inaccurate, and one location listed that is not participating this summer.
The nonprofit says they are currently working to fix any bugs. In the meantime, they say the National Hunger Clearinghouse Hotline (1-866-3-HUNGRY; 1-877-8- HAMBRE) is a great resource for people to call to confirm or find out more information.
"Over here in this community we have a bunch of kids in need for this type of program," said David Lee, with the city of San Diego's Park and Recreation Department.
Lee said during the summer they serve dozens of kids. This summer, they'll start in the third week of July and go through the end of August.
"Some of these kids stay here in the summer time from the morning all the way to 9 at night; we're kind of their second parent," said Lee.
San Diego Unified School District also has a list of locations where children can get meals throughout the summer.
