Hillsborough County Public Schools again will provide free breakfast and lunch meals this summer to children throughout Plant City and the rest of the county.
The Summer Food Service Program for Children began June 9 and runs through Aug. 9. It will be available at 12 locations throughout the Plant City area.
Tabitha Samad, the first-time site manager for the program at Wilson Elementary, said she hopes to be able to help the community’s children this summer and would love to have more children showing up for meals.
“As for the numbers, right now, we’re looking at about 40 kids in host programs,” Samad said. “In walk-in, it’s not that big of a turnover. I wish it would be — it would be nice. What I’m hearing is, a handful of people for the whole program.”
The statewide Summer Food Service program, which has been around since 1968, served 10 million meals at 3,000 locations in the summer of 2012. Its goal is to provide children with healthy meals over the summer, when they may not be able to get them. Although many of the sites are located in schools, the official website lists several other organizations that play host to the program, including the Plant City Family YMCA and the West Plant City Boys and Girls Club.
There currently are 12 listed locations throughout the Plant City area that serve these meals at least four days a week. Most are located near the heart of town, but others can be found as far north as Knights Griffin Road and as far west as Bailey Elementary. Parents/guardians can find a location near them by visiting summerfoodflorida.org or text FOODFL to 877877.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
WHERE TO GO
Bailey Elementary, 4630 Gallagher Road, Dover
Cork Elementary, 3501 Cork Road, Plant City
Dover Boys and Girls Club, 2820 Gallagher Road, Dover
Faith Christian Academy, 1202 S. Collins St., Plant City
Knights Elementary, 4815 Keene Road, Plant City
Marshall Middle School, 18 S. Maryland Ave., Plant City
Nelson Elementary School, 5413 Durant Road, Dover
Plant City Family YMCA, 1507 YMCA Place, Plant City
Tomlin Middle School, 501 N. Woodrow Wilson St., Plant City
West Side Village — RCMA (mobile site), 3102 Sammonds Road, Plant City
West Plant City Boys and Girls Club, 901 Waller St., Plant City
Wilson Elementary School, 702 W. English St., Plant City
Most schools will begin their programs on Monday, but Marshall Middle’s will begin in two weeks.
MEALS ON THE MOVE
In addition to the stationary sites, Hillsborough County Public Schools also will provide a Student Nutrition Services food bus to feed the county’s migrant communities this summer.
One of the two buses will serve the Plant City area beginning June 16 through Aug. 8 (see locations below). The bus will provide breakfast and lunch, and children can eat on the air-conditioned vehicles.
This initiative provides nutritionally balanced meals to children regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender or national origin during the summer vacation, when school breakfast and lunch are not available. All children 18 years old and younger are eligible.
San Jose Mission, 3238 San Jose Mission Road, Dover
Breakfast: 7:30 to 8 a.m.; lunch: 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.
Speer Mobile Home Park, 5206 Gabby Court, Plant City
Breakfast: 8:15 to 8:45 a.m.; lunch: noon to 12:30 p.m.
Park Springs Apartments, 300 Park Springs Circle, Plant City
Breakfast: 9 to 9:30 a.m.; lunch: 12:45 to 1:15 p.m.
Oakbrook Mobile Home Park, 4404 S.R. 574, Plant City
Breakfast: 9:45 to 10:15 a.m.; lunch: 1:30 to 2 p.m.