- Jefferson County churches and community groups are providing meals for children during summer break.
- The Summer BreakSpot Program offers no-cost meals to children through their teens.
- Watch the video to see how the program also supports families during tough times.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
This summer, local churches and community groups are teaming up to keep kids fed while class is out. I’m Lentheus Chaney, your Monticello neighborhood reporter, speaking with neighbors about why the end of school signals a season of struggle to put food on the table for some families.
When schools close for the summer, so do cafeteria doors. That cuts off a critical nutrition source for many children who rely on free or reduced-price meals.
In Jefferson County, data from Feeding America shows that 16 percent of the population faced food insecurity as of 2023.
To help combat this, Florida’s Summer BreakSpot program provides no-cost meals to kids and teens during the summer.
In a rural area like Wacissa, where the nearest grocery store is miles away, having local access to meals makes a real difference.
Local partners, like Beth Page Missionary Baptist Church in Wacissa and Jefferson K-12, help distribute those meals to families in their neighborhoods.
First Lady Constance Manning says parents in her community depend on these meals, and the demand has grown each year.
“This year we’ll be able to supply more kids this year than we did last year. This program will help the kids at least have a meal once a day,” Manning said.
Programs like this don’t just feed bellies. They feed the community in more ways than one. The need is even greater during and after a disaster.
“During the hurricane season, you got food here for your child in case the lights go out you ain’t got to worry about having to warm nothing up. They can get their little meal and they’ll have something to eat,” Manning said.
School leaders at Jefferson K-12 say they will also deliver meals to the Jefferson Arms community for neighbors without transportation or children attending summer school.
For more information, visit summerbreakspot.org.
In Jefferson County, I’m Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
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