With the year almost over, Flagler County Schools is making sure students from struggling families have a meal to eat while they're home for the summer.

  • Flagler County Schools to offer food services sites this summer
  • The sites help students on free and reduced lunch
  • The school district seeks approval for a seventh site from Bunnell

Fresh food for Sue Gibson is a big deal. As a mother and grandmother, in the past she's dealt with the struggle of trying to feed her kids.

"There are times when times get rough. You're working paycheck to paycheck, you got bills, you can only get in just so much groceries with your money and things run out," said Gibson. 

At one point, she said she depended on summer programs to help feed the children when they were on summer break.

She said it’s the same struggle many families in her neighborhood face as well.

"When the children are out of school, you've got to buy extra to keep them going and you just sometimes make ends meet," said Gibson. 

The school district's food services department says about 65 percent of children depend on free or reduced lunches throughout the year. The district said the majority of them don't have access to three meals a day at home.

The district said many of these students could go hungry without their help. 

"During the summer months they're home all day. Kids eat all day long," said Gibson.

That's where the district's possible seven food service sites will come in this summer.

Some of them are open to the public for children ages 4-18. 

That's good news to Gibson who knows how much of a struggle it is for some to get their hands on a fresh meal and to keep the pantry full. 

"If there's some assistance that's going on and the children is benefitting from it, I say hats off to that," said Gibson.

Summer food service locations

Six locations for the summer food program are already set. A seventh location (Versielee Mitchell Community Center) in Bunnell is being considered.

Open to the public:

  • Reverse Church
  • Espanola Community Center
  • Wadsworth Elementary School

Must be enrolled prior to opening:

  • Imagine School at Town Center
  • Bunnell Elementary School
  • Boys and Girls Club of Flagler