During the summer months, the Manteca Unified Nutrition Services have remained busy, serving up free meals

“We are doing between 1,500 to 1,900 meals a day,” said MUSD Nutrition Service Supervisor Stephanie Huff on Monday.

With the aim of promoting good health through nutrition, physical activity and education – all this supports the complete learning experience, according to the MUSD website – the folks at Nutrition Services added a fun-filled Fresh Fruit & Veggie Fridays.

“This Friday will be our last one,” Huff said.

Each of the free summer meals sites will be serving up a small watermelon.

Students have been posting photos on social media, using #NEsummerfun by highlighting the produce in their daily lives.

“We’ve picked one winner each week,” said Huff, with the winner getting a $25 gift card to AMC Movies.

Youngsters have splashed photos of cucumbers, strawberries, red bell pepper, and corn on the cob.

Last week, her team provided a salsa bag with everything to make salsa.

The efforts of MUSD Nutrition Services haven’t gone unnoticed. Last month, Gold Star Foods recognized the team, as part of the Farms to Families Food Box program, with an award plaque for delivering over 6,000 boxes and 138,000 pounds of fresh food.

Included were those working the warehouse, school sites, office team and drivers for doing the “heavy lifting” for students and their families.

These are the final weeks of the free summer meal program. The final day is Friday, July 23.

The drive-thru services are scheduled Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A student must be present to receive a meal.

Among the grab-and-go sites are French Camp Elementary School, Lathrop Elementary School, Joseph Widmer Elementary School, Golden West Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary, Sequoia Elementary, Walter Woodward Elementary, East Union High, August Knodt Elementary, Great Valley Elementary and Weston Ranch High.