All Faiths Food Bank provides free summer meals for children

More than 40,000 children in Sarasota and DeSoto counties are at risk of hunger this summer when they lose access to free and reduced-cost meals at school. Funded through contributions to its annual Campaign Against Summer Hunger, All Faiths Food Bank (AFFB) will join hundreds of community partners and programs to provide healthy, nutritious food for children at 45 sites throughout the community all summer long.

To reach as many children as possible, AFFB works with schools, libraries, early learning centers, summer camps, community centers and numerous other organizations throughout Sarasota and DeSoto counties. The groceries are provided through school pantries, family meals, BackPacks filled with food, and community events – in addition to All Faiths Food Bank’s regularly scheduled food distributions and mobile pantries.

Last year, with the support of 300 partners and programs, All Faiths Food Bank served more than 107,000 meals through its summer feeding programs.

Sarasota and DeSoto County Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) departments will, once again, offer its Summer BreakSpots – a federally-funded program that provides nutritious meals at no cost to children 18 and under during the summer. Operating at schools, nonprofit organizations, and government entities – such as parks and libraries – Summer BreakSpot reimburses participating organizations for meals through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Summer Food Service Program or Seamless Summer Option. During FNS distributions at select school campuses, AFFB provides supplemental food resources, as well as food for school pantries.

“Our district has participated in the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program for children for nearly 30 years," said Sarasota County Schools’ Food & Nutrition Services Director, Sara Dan. “The supplemental help we receive from the Campaign allows us to provide additional food resources for entire families, all in one place. Removing accessibility barriers has a tremendous impact on the well-being of our overall school communities during the months when food insecurity is usually the highest. This amazing USDA program allows Sarasota County Schools to impact all children in our community with school and community sites throughout Sarasota County. Our partnership with AFFB helps us maintain this crucial resource for our children and families.”

Since its inception in 2013, AFFB’s Campaign Against Summer Hunger has raised awareness of the issue of child hunger in our community, while raising more than $16 million in donations. This year’s lead investors are Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and Gulf Coast Community Foundation; chairing the effort is Lisa Krouse.

“For the past 11 years, it has been our honor – and we feel it is our responsibility – to make sure kids have enough to eat over the summer months,” said All Faiths President and CEO Nelle S. Miller. “We are so grateful to our lead investors, as well as every community member who contributed to the Campaign for their invaluable support and compassion. Thanks to their generosity, tens of thousands of area children will have access to food, in numerous convenient locations, throughout the summer.”

More information about Sarasota County Schools’ summer meal resources can be found at sarasotacountyschools.net/summerfeeding or by calling 941-486-2199.

To find a summer food site, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org/summer-food-sites. To learn how you can help children and families experiencing hunger, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org or call 941-379-6333.

About All Faiths Food Bank
All Faiths Food Bank is the only food bank and largest hunger relief organization in Sarasota and DeSoto counties, providing millions of meals each year in collaboration with more than 300 agencies and programs throughout the community. All Faiths works not only to end hunger today, but also strives to end hunger – forever – by helping families and individuals gain long-term food security, enjoy better health outcomes, and achieve self-sufficiency. All Faiths is rated four stars by Charity Navigator and is a partner of the Feeding America and Feeding Florida networks. For more information, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org.