PINELLAS COUNTY, fla — When school is in session, kids don't have to worry about how they are going to eat since they get breakfast and lunch at school. Over the summer, making sure they're fed is more of a challenge.
Luckily, a program in St. Petersburg is offering free breakfast and lunch to kids under 18 this summer.
Working mom Takita Cuthbertson said this program removes a level of stress for so many families.
“Things are just so expensive, so it's hard to be able to provide children with healthy meals,” Cuthbertson said.
A growing grocery bill is something almost everyone can relate to, but for many families it gets even higher during the summer when kids are home from school.
“I think food insecurity is very real, and I think it is something we are focused on here in St. Pete," said community enrichment administrator Mike Jefferis.
The city pays for the free food program through a grant that was passed down from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jefferis said each meal is well-balanced and hits nutritional requirements.
“If a child is not well fed, there is no way they are going to be able to learn or enjoy the summer,” he said.
Click here for the locations offering free food.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
