All Faiths Food Bank to provide free summer meals for children

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - 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 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 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 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.”

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.