St. Lucie Schools Offering Free Summer Meals to Kids and Teens 18 and Under

Families stretching a summer budget in St. Lucie County have a resource worth knowing about: free meals for anyone 18 and under at 13 school sites across the county, with no application required.

St. Lucie Public Schools is hosting the program through the federally backed Summer Break Spot initiative, which distributes no-cost breakfasts and lunches to children and teenagers during the weeks school is out. Kids simply need to show up in person during posted site hours. Parents cannot pick up meals on their child's behalf, officials said.

Participating sites span the county's major corridors and communities, including Port St. Lucie High School, Treasure Coast High School, Lincoln Park Academy, St. Lucie West Centennial High School, Southern Oaks Middle School, Southport Middle School, Dale Cassens Education Complex, Garden City, Renaissance of St. Lucie K-8, Samuel S. Gaines Academy, St. Lucie West K-8, Somerset K-5 and West Gate K-8. Students not enrolled in summer school must check in at the main office before heading to the cafeteria, public documents indicate.

For a household already navigating rising grocery costs, the program can meaningfully reduce the daily food bill over a ten-week summer. The USDA's Summer Food Service Program, which funds initiatives like this one, served more than five million children nationally in recent years [NEEDS VERIFICATION on current enrollment figures].

Families can find site-specific hours — which vary by location and are subject to change — at summerbreakspot.org, by calling 2-1-1 or by texting "FoodFL" to 304-304.

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