Many local children depend on school breakfast and lunch as their only meals for the day. Out of concern that these children may not have access to food during the summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Florida Department of Agriculture, along with numerous other organizations, have continued to band together to create and promote local meal sites during school break throughout Florida. Families can access this information by calling 2-1-1 or visiting www.summerfoodflorida.org.
As a part of this collaboration, 2-1-1 organizations statewide will assist callers in finding these meal sites for their children, and also other food programs and services to help their families.
Last year, the School District of Palm Beach County had close to 70,000 low-income students partaking in free school lunch, and thousands more on the reduced-cost meals program.
“I would really like to see families reach out to 2-1-1 for Summer BreakSpot meal site information,” said Patrice Schroeder, public information officer for 211. “It is important to address the family’s basic need for food and other crucial services from programs that the adults may not know exist.”
In times of crisis or for everyday needs, 2-1-1 staff are available around the clock, making it easy for people to access information on community resources and services, simply by calling 2-1-1. Calls are free, confidential and available 24/7. Also visit www.211palmbeach.org for information online.
The nonprofit 2-1-1 Helpline’s mission is to connect people to services around the clock by understanding their individual emotional, financial and community needs, and to support the health and human service system as a whole.
