Kids Hope Alliance Creates Summer Food Program for Jacksonville Children in Need
By: Elizabeth Pace, Action News Jax
Updated: June 9, 2020 – 5:25 PM
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Critical meals will be handed out to vulnerable areas in Duval County this summer.
Starting Monday, Kids Hope Alliance relaunched its Summer Meals Program to feed local children and youth.
Their “BreakSpots” offer free lunches and snacks at various distribution locations. Because of the coronavirus, this year’s program will offer grab-and-go services.
“There are a lot of parents who are out of work or have a new work situation that may not be ideal. Then you have some parents who their kid may not get into the summer program they were in because of the ratios and the numbers that are in place. You have all of those different things that are happening in the family structure and a quality meal in the middle of a hot summer day for a kid is essential,” Travis Williams said.
Williams is the Senior Director of Communication for Kids Hope Alliance. He said the Summer Food Program is funded by a Department of Agriculture grant. There are multiple programs across the state, but Jacksonville has the second-largest one.
“In previous years we’ve done more than 5,000 meals a day that were served to children and youth throughout Duval County. Our goal is to exceed that this year because of the pandemic, because we know the greater need of parents and children during this time,” Williams said.
List of locations and services found here: http://kidshopealliance.org/summercamp-directory/