TAMPA, Fla. — Amid the coronavirus pandemic, all Florida schools are closed until March 30. To make sure children in the state don't go hungry during that time, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried activated a website that shows families where they can find free meals for their children.
You can call 2-1-1 to find free meals for children under 18 during the current COVID-19 school closures. You can also text FLKIDSMEALS to 211-211.
Coronavirus closings and cancellations in the Tampa Bay area
"Social distancing and avoiding crowded areas, like school cafeterias, are critical to slowing the spread of COVID-19. But we can't let Florida's children go hungry in the meantime," said Commissioner Nikki Fried. "That's why we're activating our Summer BreakSpot locations, to offer families an alternative way to find healthy, nutritious meals. For many children, these meals will be the only meals they can count on, so we're encouraging families to take advantage of this service."
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service's Summer BreakSpot website currently has 1,000 active sites in the state. The meals are free for all children under 18 while schools are closed.
Click here to access the website.
Currently, there are locations in the following counties:
Active week of March 16:
- Alachua
- Baker
- Bradford
- Broward
- Calhoun
- Citrus
- Clay
- Collier
- Duval
- Hamilton
- Indian River
- Jackson
- Lafayette
- Levy
- Liberty
- Miami-Dade
- Palm Beach
- Polk
- Sumter
- Suwannee
- Union
Active week of March 23:
- Baker
- Bay
- Bradford
- Brevard
- Charlotte
- Columbia
- Duval
- Flagler
- Franklin
- Gadsden
- Gilchrist
- Gulf
- Hamilton
- Hardee
- Hendry
- Highlands
- Hillsborough
- Leon
- Madison
- Manatee
- Marion
- Martin
- Nassau
- Okaloosa
- Okeechobee
- Orange
- Osceola
- Pasco
- Pinellas
- Sarasota
- Seminole
- St. Johns
- St. Lucie
- Sumter
- Suwannee
- Union
- Volusia
- Walton
- Washington
→ COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS
The department says the number of locations will increase as they approve additional BreakSpot site applications.
The map not only shows you where the sites are with 50 miles of your home but also when they're open.
