School District Ramps Up Free Summer Meals Program, Open to for All Children

In an email to the Pasadena Unified School District community on Tuesday, district officials reminded parents about the district’s free summer meals program.

The district offers free breakfasts and lunches to all children and youth aged 18 and under through its 2025 Summer Food Program. The program will operate at more than 25 sites across Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre, with no registration or PUSD enrollment required for children to receive meals. Families can visit any participating site to receive meals.

“Parents can bring their children to one of our community feeding sites and they will be provided a free breakfast and lunch,” a Pasadena Unified School District representative stated in a press release. “This program provides an opportunity for PUSD students and all the children in our community to continue receiving those meals during the summer.”

The 2025 Summer Food Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pasadena Unified School District’s Food and Nutrition Services Department, will run at various locations including schools, libraries, parks, and community centers. Most sites will serve meals Monday through Friday from June through early August, though service dates vary by location. Some sites operate from early June through mid-July, while others will continue through Aug. 1.

Community sites include:

• AGBU at 2495 E. Mountain St., Pasadena (July 7-Aug. 1, closed July 4), offering breakfast from 9:30 to 10 a.m. and lunch from 12:30 to 1 p.m.
• Altadena Library at 600 E. Mariposa St., Altadena (June 9-Aug. 1, closed June 19 and July 4), providing lunch only from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Brookside Park at 360 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena, and La Pintoresca Park at 45 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, will both operate from June 23 to Aug. 1 (closed July 4), serving breakfast from 8 to 8:30 a.m. and lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m.
• Jefferson Branch Library at 1500 E. Villa St., Pasadena (June 9-Aug. 1, closed July 4), offering lunch only from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Jivalagian Youth Center at 2242 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena (July 7-Aug. 1), providing breakfast from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and lunch from 12:30 to 1 p.m.

“The USDA’s Free Summer Meals program is an amazing program that ensures all children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session,” a Pasadena Unified School District representative noted.

The district notes that all times and dates are subject to change. Participants simply need to show up at the listed sites to receive meals, with no preregistration required. The institution is an equal opportunity provider.

The summer food initiative is operated by Pasadena Unified School District in conjunction with the City of Pasadena and other organizations. For more information and a complete list of Summer Food Program sites, families can visit https://www.pusd.us/summermeals or call Pasadena Unified School District Food and Nutrition Services at (626) 396-5850.

For specific questions, families can contact Marcela Zamorano at Zamorano.marcela@pusd.us.