Welcome to Nutrition Services!

We are pleased to announce that ALL of our schools are offering FREE daily breakfast and lunch during this upcoming 2024-2025 school year through the California Universal Meals Program. Although meals are free of charge, all families are still highly recommended to fill out and submit the documentation that our District needs to continue to provide this benefit. There are two different documents, however both provide the same benefits. (The reason why the forms differ is based on the way the national meal program identifies our schools.)

Please use the link below to select and click on the form for the school your student(s) attend(s). You only need to fill out one form for your family, rather than each student, unless you have students attending schools in two different groups below. (In those cases, please fill out both forms.)

If your student(s) attend(s) Adams, Arlington, Arnold, Casimir, Carr, Edison, Fern, Hull, Jefferson, Madrona, Magruder, North, Shery, Torrance Elementary, Torrance High, Victor, West, Wood, or Yukon, please complete the Educational Benefit Form:

EDUCATIONAL BENEFIT FORM

If your student(s) attend(s) Anza, Bert Lynn, Calle Mayor, Hickory, Lincoln, Richardson, Riviera, Seaside, South, Towers, or Walteria, please complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application:

FREE AND REDUCED MEAL APPLICATION

IMPORTANT: The Educational Benefit Form and the Free and Reduced Meal Applications both provide serveral benefis to families that qualify:

1. EBT benefits
2. Discounted fees associated with the college application process
3. Discounted internet access and wireless services
4. Discounted fees associated with SAT, ACT, and AP tests
5. Increased funding to support student's access to an exemplary education

The information collected on these forms ensures our schools receive funding to support the learning of low income students and can offer your family additional benefits such as discounted fees. Other areas supported by this funding include intervention, additional academic counseling, socio-emotional counseling, and reading recovery.

SUMMER MEALS

We are pleased to announce we will be offering FREE Breakfast and Lunch at Torrance Elementary from June 17th - August 9th for anyone 18 years old or younger. You do not need to be a Torrance Unified student to receive free meals. Breakfast is from 9-10am and Lunch is 11am-12pm. Parents are not allowed to pick up meals without their students present.

Text 'FOOD' to 304-304 to get more information about Free Meals during Summer!

LINQ Connect
We’re excited to inform you that our meal payments portal, TITAN Family Portal, has upgraded to LINQ Connect. There’s no need to change your username and password, all your information has already been transferred to the new app.

Here are some exciting upgrades to expect:
• A simple, fresh look to allow for better accessibility
• An interactive dashboard to view all family members in one profile
• A resource center to access help guides
• Streamlined menus required you to click less to do more

Visit your app store and find “LINQ Connect”, available in the Google Play Store now and the Apple store (available soon), to download the new app and enjoy these new features. Just log in with your existing username and password. If you use a browser, visit LINQConnect.com to log in. If you don’t use our online meal (and/or school fees) payments portal, LINQ Connect allows you to set up one-time or recurring payments for your student’s meal. You can also view previous transactions, set spending limits, transfer funds between students, set low balance notifications, and more. It’s an easy way to manage meal payments without the hassle of sending cash.

If you have any questions, please contact our office at 310-972-6350.

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Good nutrition and learning go hand in hand!

The Nutrition Services department is made up of a team of food and nutrition professionals that are dedicated to students' health, well-being and their ability to learn. We support learning by promoting healthy habits for lifelong nutrition and fitness practices.

Meals, foods and beverages sold and served on campus meet state and federal requirements which are based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines. We provide students with access to a variety of affordable and delicious foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students.

Learn about Torrance USD Wellness here!

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USDA NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

Fax:
(833) 256-1665 or
(202) 690-7442

Email:
program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT INFORMATION ACT

Based on your annual earnings, you may be eligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit from the Federal Government (Federal EITC). The Federal EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. The Federal EITC has no effect on certain welfare benefits. In most cases, Federal EITC payments will not be used to determine eligibility for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, food stamps, low-income housing, or most Temporary Assistance For Needy Families payments. Even if you do not owe federal taxes, you must file a federal tax return to receive the Federal EITC. Be sure to fill out the Federal EITC form in the Federal Income Tax Return Booklet. For information regarding your eligibility to receive the Federal EITC, including information on how to obtain the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notice 797 or any other necessary forms and instructions, contact the IRS by calling (800) 829-3676 or through its website at www.irs.gov.

You may also be eligible to receive the California Earned Income Tax Credit (California EITC) starting with the calendar year 2015 tax year. The California EITC is a refundable state income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. The California EITC is treated in the same manner as the Federal EITC and generally will not be used to determine eligibility for welfare benefits under California law. To claim the California EITC, even if you do not owe California taxes, you must file a California income tax return and complete and attach the California EITC Form (FTB 3514). For information on the availability of the credit eligibility requirements and how to obtain the necessary California forms and get help filing, contact the Franchise Tax Board at (800) 852-5711 or through its website at www.ftb.ca.gov.