TV Coverage For COA Free Lunch Program

The free food giveaway programs at the Peralta Colleges we first announced in May and which now include all four colleges are certainly good news for students and the community.  And now the program is in the news!  Maaziq Madyun, a reporter for KRON TV Channel 4 recently stopped by the College of Alameda and filmed the following story, "East Bay grab-and-go lunch program helps fight food insecurity during pandemic," which was broadcast across the Bay area. The story is also available online here:  https://gems.peralta.edu/all-four-colleges-now-offering-free-meals

In the coverage, College of Alameda Vice President of Student Services Dr. Tina Vasconcellos says the school formed a partnership with World Central Kitchen and Steph and Ayesha Curry’s Eat-Play-Learn foundation to make this happen.

“We partnered with Eat-Play-Learn in May and have been doing hot meals for students primarily and also community members in Alameda,” Dr. Vasconcellos said. “Currently we serve 2,600 hot meals and we also provide on Fridays produce boxes about 180 of those weekly.”

Dr. Vasconcellos notes that at $10 per meal, this program is pumping $26,000 a week into the local food service economy, making it a win for students, the College, and the Alameda community. 

All four colleges in the Peralta Community College District have partnered with Steph and Ayesha Curry's charity Eat. Learn. Play., the World Central Kitchen, and the Peralta Colleges Foundation to provide free meals to those who really need them.

• Laney College Lunch & Produce is available on Mondays and Wednesdays from Noon to 2pm with drive thru pickup available at 900 Fallon Street. Laney also offers organic produce boxes each Friday.
• College of Alameda "Grab-N-Go Free Lunch" is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:30am to 1:30pm with drive thru pickup available at 555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway. 
• Merritt College "Grab N Go Free Lunch" is available on Tuesday and Thursday, from Noon to 2pm, off-campus at the David E. Glover Education and Technology Center located at 6948 Foothill Blvd, Oakland. 
• Berkeley City College lunches are available on Fridays from 11:30am to 2pm at 2050 Center St., Berkeley.  BCC also provides free groceries at the Berkeley Food Network on 1001 University Ave. Berkeley, CA 94710 between 12pm - 3pm every Monday.

Peralta Gems recently visited the College of Alameda for lunch distribution.  "Cars start lining up around 10:30am. Officially the start time is 11:30am. We say the distribution lasts until 1:30pm or whenever we run out of food. Today we passed out 900 meals before noon."  Thank you to Eat.Learn.Play., World Central Kitchen, The Peralta Colleges Foundation, and all the employees and volunteers who make this food giveaway possible!