Summer meal programs designed to keep kids fed
The community is coming together to feed children this summer through efforts underway by the School District of Lee County and BreakSpot, as well as Community Cooperative.
For the first time, the district and BreakSpot are teaming up to provide a seven-day meal kit for children 18 and younger offered once a week at nine locations.
The kits, which provide breakfast and lunch, are available from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Mondays between June 9 and July 28.
“It’s fantastic. We are very excited about rolling this out,” Food and Nutrition Field Manager Bonnie Ross said.
Families know what it is like going to the grocery store with rising food costs so they decided to be proactive and provide shelf-stable food items that will last for seven days.
“If they come back every Monday, they get another kit,” Ross said.
Parents are asked to bring a form of identification that proves they have a child(ren).
Locations include:
North Fort Myers
• Prairie Pines Preserve, 19400 North Tamiami Trail, N., North Fort Myers
Pine Island
• Pine Island Elementary School, 5360 Ridgewood Drive, Bookeelia
• Palms at Pine Island, 15061 Stringfellow Road, Bokeelia
Alva
• River Hall Elementary, 2800 River Hall Parkway, Alva
• The Alva School, 21219 N. River Road, Alva
Fort Myers/Lehigh Acres
• Gateway High School, 13820 Griffin Drive, Fort Myers
East Fort Myers/Buckingham
• Buckingham Community Church, 10960 Orange River Blvd., Fort Myers
• Buckingham Community Park, 9800 Buckingham Road, Fort Myers
• Charleston Park Community Center, 2541 Charleston Park Drive, Alva
BreakSpot is also available for children 18 and younger this summer at 100 sites throughout the district for free breakfast and lunch. The program runs every weekday June 9, through July 30. No documentation is needed to participate. The child must be present to receive the meal, which must be consumed on site.
The full list of sites and times can be found at summerbreakspot.org. Parents are encouraged to check the list frequently as days, times and locations can change. Information can also be obtained by calling 2-1-1 or 850-617-7170.
This year the Cape Coral Parks & Recreation has expanded its locations to four.
Those include:
• Del Prado Linear Park from 11:15 a.m. to noon.
• Four Freedoms Park from 12 to 1 p.m.
• Gator Trails Park from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Paul Sanborn Park from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, June 9, the Cape Coral Fun Mobile will be at Paul Sanborn Park offering free games and activities to help kick off the summer program. The Cape Coral Fun Mobile will make stops at different parks throughout the program.
Community Cooperative is also extending a helping hand this summer.
“We all know with school out, there are a lot of kids that don’t have access to food like they do when they are in school – many are eating breakfast and lunch,” Community Cooperative CEO Stefanie Ink Edwards said. “This is just our way of ensuring kids, who are home with a parent, some without, have the opportunity to have food that is easy to make.”
The community can make a monetary donation, or donate food items in decorated paper bags for Hungry Hungry Kiddo Kits.
“It’s a great opportunities for families, people at home, that are looking for summer activities,” Ink Edwards said. “You can go to the store, pick out kid-friendly items, put them in a paper bag and draw on the bags to make them a little more fun.”
The kits should include such items as grab and go snacks, fruit cups, granola, breakfast bars, cereal, oatmeal packets, peanut butter and jelly and shelf stable items. The bags and donated items can be dropped off at Community Cooperative Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We are in full distribution now with items going to mobile food pantries and being distributed at the community market,” she said, adding that nothing goes unused. “Every year, by mid-summer we are begging for more.”
Ink Edward said with the cost of food and inflation they have seen an uptick in their numbers; she is certain they will see a higher demand this year than what they are probably ready for.
“This project is supported 100% by philanthropy,” she said, adding that they are also looking for volunteers to make the bags and distribute the bags.
For more information, visit communitycooperative.com.