Florida Consumer Help: eNewsletter

Children need healthy, wholesome food year-round, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services administers the Summer BreakSpot program to bridge the gap for meals during the summer months of June through August. Summer BreakSpot collaborates with eligible sponsors, including non-profit organizations, schools, churches, camps, local governments and more, to serve free nutritious meals or snacks in a safe environment to children from low-income families who are under the age of 18. In addition to food, sponsors may also offer educational programs, recreational activities and other enrichment programs. Another tool to increase the availability of meals is the mobile Summer BreakSpot fleet. Renovated school buses, trucks and vans stop at recreation centers, parks and other locations that lack an established Summer BreakSpot site. There are currently 17 counties that operate a mobile option: Broward, Clay, Duval, Gilchrist, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Leon, Manatee, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam and Santa Rosa. Last summer, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Summer BreakSpot program partnered with 3,800 schools and community organizations to provide 15.5 million nutritious meals to children 18 and under. This was a 15-percent increase from 2014, and an approximately 42-percent increase since the department took over the program in 2012. There are many easy ways to find a Summer BreakSpot near you: Dial 2-1-1 Text "FoodFL" to 877-877 Download the "Nutrislice" smartphone app Visit SummerFoodFlorida.org Summer BreakSpot is part of the National Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded program operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and administered in Florida by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state's clearinghouse for consumer complaints, protection and information. For additional information, contact the department at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352), 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832) en Español, or visit 800helpfla.com. Subscribe to Commissioner Adam H. Putnam’s Email