The California Summer Meal Coalition (CSMC) is an initiative within ILG’s Collaboration and Partnerships program and works to combat food insecurity and childhood obesity by ensuring low-income children and youth have access to healthy food when school is out by increasing access to USDA summer meal programs.

CSMC brings together local and state leaders in child nutrition and physical activity, summer learning, food policy, anti-hunger, youth development, school district leadership, city and county leadership, along with the California Department of Education and the California Department of Public Health. These groups share their expertise to develop and promote strategies that strengthen our communities when school is out.

CSMC provides resources and technical assistance to city, county, school and community leaders to help them leverage federal nutrition programs to facilitate greater intergovernmental collaboration and to create healthy, connected communities. One of CSMC’s signature projects is Lunch at the Library, a partnership with the California Library Association, to keep low-income children and youth healthy and learning when school is out through summer meal programs at California’s public libraries.

For more information about the California Summer Meal Coalition, visit www.summermealcoalition.org.

For more information about Lunch at the Library, visit www.lunchatthelibrary.org.