Summer Meals
For Kids
Fighting Child Hunger Starts In The Kitchen
Featuring Chef Geronimo Lopez, Executive Vice President of Culinary Operations
Before joining the San Antonio Food Bank, Chef Geronimo Lopez admired the organization’s work from the outside. Today, as Executive Vice President of Culinary Operations, he helps lead one of the most important efforts of the summer: preparing thousands of meals for children across Southwest Texas through our Summer Meals for Kids campaign (June 1 – August 8).
“Summer changes everything,” Chef Geronimo shared during a recent interview.
When school is out, the meals many children depend on each day disappear. For families already navigating financial hardship, summer can quickly become one of the most difficult seasons of the year.
“What I have seen firsthand is this,” Chef Geronimo said. “When we remove the worry of where a child’s next meal will come from, we give them the freedom to simply be a kid. They can play, grow, and dream about what is possible.”
Inside the Food Bank’s kitchens, that mission begins early each morning.
Meals are carefully planned alongside dietitians, tested by culinary staff, and prepared with the support of staff and volunteers working together toward a shared purpose. During the summer months, the San Antonio Food Bank aims to prepare and distribute more than 5,000 meals each day to over 100 Summer Meals Sites throughout the community.
But for Chef Geronimo, the work is about far more than production numbers.
“This is more than a production effort,” he explained. “It is a commitment to consistency.”
For children and families facing food insecurity, consistency matters deeply. Knowing a meal will be available each day provides stability during a season that can otherwise feel uncertain.
Every meal is also prepared with intention.
“We focus on nutrition, but also on flavor,” Chef Geronimo shared. “We want children to enjoy what they are eating, to experience new foods, and to feel cared for in every bite.”
This summer, the San Antonio Food Bank is working to help close a 20 million meal gap across Southwest Texas through Summer Meals for Kids meal sites, grocery distributions, and community partnerships.
And behind every meal served is a community of staff, volunteers, educators, donors, and partners working together to help children thrive.
Because fighting child hunger starts in the kitchen — but it reaches far beyond it.
