A year ago it was estimated, by the group California Food Policy Advocates, that the “summer nutrition gap” affected over 14-hundred low-income children in Nevada County. Now that school is out, they no longer have access to the free or reduced-price school lunch program. But for the 18th straight year, the Nevada County Food Bank’s “Project Hope” tries to effectively reduce that number. Food Bank Executive Director John Candelaria says they provide morning snacks during the school year at local schools. But, starting next Monday, they’ll, again, begin deliveries of free lunches to kids in 7 area low-income apartment complexes…

click to listen to John Candelaria

Candelaria says United Way also provides funding to help the Food Bank purchase food. Project Hope lasts 9 weeks…

click to listen to John Candelaria

Candelaria says last summer around 4,630 lunches were delivered. And he’d like to expand the program beyond the apartment complexes in the future, but funding remains tight.