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More Turning Up For Free Meals

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BY YVETTE C. HAMMETT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 25, 2008

MANGO - With the economy tumbling and many parents struggling to pay bills, thousands more youngsters are turning up at county recreation areas this summer to take advantage of free lunches.

Hillsborough County has added five free lunch sites and is providing about 5,000 additional meals this summer.

"I would imagine it's due to people like me who are losing their jobs, foreclosures and the cost of food," said Bernadine White-King, manager of the county's summer food program. White-King, like 99 other county employees, learned June 12 that her position likely will be eliminated Oct. 1 due to county budget cuts. She has worked for the county for 16 years.

But between now and then, White-King said, she still has work to do.

Some 17,000 youngsters are taking advantage of the summer lunch program this year, up from about 12,000 last year, she said. Most meal sites are at county parks, including the Mango and Brandon recreation centers.

At the Mango center, 250 to 350 kids show up for the recreation program and free lunch every day, said senior recreation specialist Lavaris Larry.

The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Florida Department of Education, targets low-income students who qualify for free and reduced-cost lunches during the regular school year.

But families don't have to qualify for the summer lunch program. Any child can walk into a participating location and get a free meal, White-King said.

The Summer Food Service Program is the largest federal initiative available to local sponsors who want to combine food programs with summer activities for children, according to the USDA's Web site. However, only a fraction of the millions of students who get free and reduced lunches during the school year take advantage of the summer meals program.

The initiative has been popular in Hillsborough County since its inception 31 years ago.

Despite the likely loss of White-King's position, the summer lunch program will continue next year, said County Administrator Pat Bean.

Bean said job cuts have nothing to do with job performance and everything to do with Amendment One, a voter-mandated reduction in property taxes. The mandate is forcing the county to cut its budget by $87 million.

To view a photo gallery of the summer food program, go to snap.tbo.com/pages/gallery

IF YOU GO
Summer food program sites in eastern Hillsborough County are:

• Bill Carey Boys & Girls Club, 213 N. Knights Ave., Brandon, (813) 685-2006

• Brandon Recreation Center, 510 E. Sadie Street, Brandon, (813) 635-8179

• Dover Boys & Girls Club, 2820 S. Gallagher Road, Dover, (813) 659-2800

• Evans Park, 1004 Kingsway Road, Seffner, (813) 744-5574

• Keysville Park, 9390 Edison Road, Lithia, (813) 757-3717

• Mango Recreation Center, 11717 Claypit Road, Mango, (813) 635-7489

• Turkey Creek Recreation Center, 5936 Connell Road, Plant City, (813) 757-3822

• West Plant City Boys & Girls Club, 901 S. Waller Ave., Plant City, (813) 707-8490

• Riverview Park, 7807 Capitano Drive, Riverview, (813) 671-7617

• Plant City Family Support & Resource Center, 809 W. Renfro Street, Plant City, (813) 764-0694

• Progress Village Park, 8701 Progress Blvd., Tampa, (813) 842-4808

• Now Faith, 603 Elnor Street, Plant City, (813) 600-5883

• Palm River Park, 725 S. 58th Street, Palm River, (813) 744-5516

• Palm River Success Center, 5415 Palm River Road, Palm River, (813) 628-9652

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 657-4532 or yhammett@tampatrib.com. .php?gallery=326937&offset=0.

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