District again providing free meals to children and teens during the summer
Press release from Alachua County Public Schools
ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – Children 18 years old and younger can receive free breakfast and lunch during the summer months through the Alachua County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) department.
The Summer Meals Program, funded by the federal government, is open to any child regardless of family income. The meals are served at more than 70 sites, including local schools and other locations.
Children do not have to be enrolled at a particular school or program to receive meals. They also do not have to be eligible for free and reduced-price meals during the regular school year to take advantage of the program. Children do need to eat the meal on-site, and families going to schools for meals are asked to check in at the front office.
“Families can take their children to the site that’s most convenient for them,” said Jamie Lovett, Director of the district’s Food and Nutrition Services department. “They just show up during the serving times and enjoy a nutritious meal, with no registration required.”
The Summer Meals Program provides nutritionally balanced meals to all children during summer vacation when school breakfasts and lunches are not available. All children 18 years old and younger are eligible, and families can take advantage of the program at any of the local sites. Baby formula, cereal, and food are also available, although families should call the FNS office at (352) 955-7539 two days ahead of time to make those arrangements.
New this summer will be several mobile sites, one each in Alachua, Archer, East Gainesville, and High Springs, and four stops in Hawthorne. At those sites, families can pick up food twice a week to cover seven days’ worth of meals combined. Participants will receive a bag containing ingredients to prepare at-home meals for breakfast and lunch. The five sites are the only locations that allow for families to pick up meals to prepare at home.
Most sites will be up and running the week of June 3rd, with several running through July 26th. The dates and times that meals will be served will vary from site to site. Details are available at www.yourchoicefresh.com (click on the banner labeled ‘Free Summer Meals’) or by calling (352) 955-7539.
“Free” Nothing is free. Taxpayers pay for this. Why can’t parents feed their own children? We are teaching people to be dependent and irresponsible.
Correct on both accounts lou. Keep baiting the turkeys til we get them all in the trap (D). Again my friends, the people receiving these “freebies” vote and the majority that pay for the bait do not.
Bidenomics! Why should we make them work for anything now when they can just pop out kids get 9k in taxes, section 8, food stamps, free health care, wic, daycare assistance. if they cry and demand loud enough they are rewarded.
We had 5 kids in my family and only my dad worked as a cable tv technician and a part time gig as an auto mechanic. we never had to take “free lunch” . If you can’t afford to feed them stop having them!!!!
The above three make very valid points. If you are 18 and still in high school there may be a problem. If you are 18 and its summer its time for you to get a job and buy your own meal. I am amazed when I drop my child off at school at the amount of luxury cars, and trucks dropping car loads of kids off with expensive clothing, sneakers, phones, and backpacks only to watch those kids run into the cafeteria for free food. (Wait a minute what was I thinking? Food I pay for and along with the rest of the work force).
How do you KNOW that those kids are going to get free lunch? Just curious…
Because they are getting free breakfast ie: government cheese. That is what that program is.
If you can’t afford them keep your legs crossed. Why does the public have to pay for your kids?
Did anybody bother reading? Most sites, you have to eat while there. A few more rural sites you can pick up half a week’s worth of ingredients for meals to make at home. Do you think parents enjoy this? And the kids are probably embarrassed and saying they never want their own families to end up this way. To assume this is just perpetuating poverty is ignorant. It’s putting food in bellies so children can grow properly. Imagine being against that. Go rail about some other taxpayer-funded program that doesn’t actually benefit society and I’ll join you in your protests.