Summer Meal Programs Kick Off for Kids

Parents worried that their school-aged children won’t eat balanced meals over the long break just need to look for Summer “BreakSpot” locations in their area.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has announced the launch of its annual statewide program that’s designed to make sure kids have access to healthy meals after the last bells ring on the school year. With more than 3,600 locations announced statewide and mobile BreakSpots also available, the state says it’s poised to close the nutritional gap for kids.

“This program provides healthy meals to hundreds of thousands of Florida children throughout the summer,” Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam was quoted in a media release as saying. “Studies show kids who eat nutritious food perform better academically.”

While many of the “BreakSpots” are set up in established sites, renovated school buses, trucks and vans are also used for making stops at parks and recreation centers, the release noted. The mobile units will operate in such Bay area counties as Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk.

Hillsborough County has also announced the kickoff of its summer meal program. Parents in that county will find free lunches offered at 50 sites throughout the county from June 8 until Aug. 14. The meals are available for children under the age of 18 on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies run out. To find out the locations offering the county’s program, visit www.HillsboroughCounty.org/SummerFood.

Parents interested in learning more about the state’s Summer BreakSpots can find locations by Dialing 211, texting “FoodFL” to 877-877, downloading the Nutrislice smartphone app or visiting Summer Food Florida online.

BreakSpot meals are available to children under the age of 18. Last year the program provided more than 13.5 million meals to about 300,000 children, the state noted.