OKEECHOBEE — Treasure Coast Food Bank expanded its summer meal program in Okeechobee this year, adding three grab-and-go sites that distributed an additional 26,000 meals to children.
The new locations — at the Okeechobee Recreation Softball Fields, The Gathering Church, and the Okeechobee County Cattleman’s Association Rodeo Arena — increased the program to 15 sites across the county. In total, more than 60,000 meals were distributed this summer.
“This expansion helped us meet the needs of so many additional families,” said Judy Cruz, president and chief executive officer for Treasure Coast Food Bank. “We know the Okeechobee community greatly benefited from this flexible model, helping bring nutritious meals to kids.”
The grab-and-go format allows families to pick up multiple meals at once, offering more flexibility and addressing barriers such as transportation in rural areas.
“Expanding with these new models was a crucial step in making sure no child goes hungry this summer,” said Sky Beard, director of No Kid Hungry Florida. “By bringing meals closer to where families are, we are helping to remove transportation and time barriers, especially in rural communities.”
The expansion was supported by funding from No Kid Hungry Florida and is part of the state’s Summer BreakSpot program, administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.