Chef Lee Burton leads a cooking demonstration during the Family Services Association of Redlands' Summer Food & Fun program. Participants learn basic cooking skills and nutrition concepts while attending the free summer lunch program. (Photo courtesy of Family Services Association of Redlands)
REDLANDS, Calif. — The Family Services Association of Redlands is bringing back its summer lunch program for the first time since 2016 as rising food costs and growing demand place added strain on local families.
Redlands Summer Food & Fun runs from June 8 through August 7 at the Family Services Association of Redlands, 612 Lawton St., from noon to 2 p.m.
Organizers say many families rely on school meals throughout the year and this event is intended to cover a gap in service during the summer months.
“2016 was the last time the Family Services did the summer lunch program,” said Kyra Stewart, executive director of the Family Services Association of Redlands. “We brought it back just because of the cost of food and the struggle the families are having right now.”
Organizers say they have seen different families every day and hope to increase attendance as more families learn about the event.
The event is open to anyone under age 18. Children under 12 need to be accompanied by an adult, while youth ages 13 and older can attend alone with written permission from a parent or guardian. No registration or application is required.
Food, cooking classes and crafts
In addition to lunch, participants can take part in crafts, organized play and weekly cooking demonstrations.
Every Thursday, local chef Lee Burton leads cooking lessons designed to introduce children to healthy, affordable meals. During one recent session, participants learned how to make corn salsa to accompany a lunch of rice and teriyaki chicken.
Burton incorporates cooking techniques, nutrition information and basic science and math concepts into the lessons.
"It's great to work for an organization that is organized, has leadership and good energy," Burton said.
The meals follow U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional guidelines and are coordinated by program leader Nilam Patel. Service workers from the University of La Verne, West Coast University students and community volunteers help operate the program.
Meeting the needs of local families
In 2025, FSA served 28,600 meals through its nutrition programs, a 23% increase from the previous year.
Stewart said the organization is seeing growing demand for food assistance.
“A lot of our families are spending more than 50% to 60% of their budget on rent. We’re a safety net agency,” Stewart said. “It’s a struggle nationwide, but we are here for solutions.”
In June, the organization also distributed more than 150 food boxes during its second community food giveaway of the year.
Redlands Unified School District also offers free summer meals for children through its Child Nutrition Services program.
“That's the beautiful part of Redlands, that there are so many agencies and nonprofits that are ready to help,” said Loida Arrioja, assistant director of the association.
The association welcomes volunteers and food donations. More information is available at redlandsfamilyservice.org.
Siw is the ultimate cheerleader of what happens in Redlands. She is a dual citizen (Danish and American) who likes to write about what is new as much as about the things we take for granted.
