Hunger Doesn’t Take Summer Vacation 

Summer Food Program Provides Meals to Florida Kids When School’s Out

When schools are closed for the summer, children and teens who benefit from school nutrition meals when classes are in session can still receive nutritious meals at no cost through the Summer BreakSpot program from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“This program provides healthy meals to hundreds of thousands of Florida children throughout the summer,” Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam said. “Studies show kids who eat nutritious food perform better academically. We have expanded this program by 21 percent in the past three years to help kids eat healthy in the summer and are better prepared for school in the fall.”

More than 3,600 locations in Florida are providing the meals, including many schools from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg in Pinellas. Pinellas is also one of 14 counties with mobile units that can take nutrition to the community at other locations.

Pinellas families can find their nearest Summer BreakSpot by phone, text or the web:

• By phone: Call Tampa Bay Cares 2-1-1.
• By text: Send “FoodFL” to 877-877.
• Via the web: Go to http://www.summerfoodflorida.org/ and click on the “Find a Site” link on the left nav bar.

There is also a Nutrislice smartphone app that can find locations.

Summer BreakSpot is part of the national Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded program operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered in Florida by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Eligible sponsors, including nonprofit organizations, schools, churches, camps, local governments and more, serve nutritious meals and snacks free to low-income children under the age of 18 during the summer months.

For information about Summer BreakSpot, call (850) 617-7737.