SACRAMENTO, CA. June 9, 2023 – Local elementary students were seen doing the impossible last week: eating their vegetables! Thanks to Sacramento nonprofit, Food Literacy Center, students were given the opportunity to shop for free produce to take home as they start their summer break. 

Food Literacy Center is addressing the need to access fruits and vegetables during major school breaks. Thanks to funding from Nugget Markets, the nonprofit was able to host a free Kids Summer Farmers Market at John Still Elementary on June 9, 2023 where they provided in-season fruits and vegetables to 58 students and their families. 

John Still Elementary is a low-income, Title 1 elementary school in Sacramento, where students are at highest risk for diet-related diseases. 

“Having Nugget Markets partnership during our Kids Summer Farmers Market allowed us to provide fruits and vegetables to students experiencing food and nutrition insecurity,” said Food Literacy Center CEO, Amber Stott. “This helps students continue to eat healthy foods at home during their summer break.”

During this colorful event, students shopped for carrots, peaches, broccoli and other produce, totaling 765 lbs. of fresh fruits and vegetables distributed. One student was so excited to see oranges were available at the market that she purchased them with her ‘food literacy’ bucks and began to peel and enjoy her orange! Another student was seen smiling at his broccoli, while another witness saw a student eat a carrot. 

Photographic evidence of children smiling and eating vegetables can be found linked here on social media. 

ABOUT FOOD LITERACY CENTER

Food Literacy Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) established in 2011 in Sacramento, California, with the mission of inspiring kids to eat their vegetables. The organization provides cooking and nutrition education to children in low-income elementary schools throughout the Sacramento City Unified School District to improve health, economy and the environment. For more information about Food Literacy Center, visit www.foodliteracycenter.org

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