Manatee School District offers free lunch over spring break

During spring break, the period from Monday to Friday, children ages 18 or under can visit locations throughout Manatee County for a free lunch, regardless of their family’s income.

Two buses will visit five stops during the break, serving up tostadas, cheeseburgers, corn dogs, pizza, fruits and vegetables, among other choices:

• Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church, 317 11th St. W., in Palmetto, from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Lincoln Park, 501 17th St. E., in Palmetto, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Southeast High School, 1200 37th Ave. E., in Bradenton, from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• Bradenton Village Apartments, 1302 Third St. W., in Bradenton, from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• City Stop, 619 11th Ave. E., in Bradenton, from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Each bus offers air conditioning on the inside and a shaded awning outside.

The school district feeds students through its Food and Nutrition Services Department, while the Florida Department of Agriculture reimburses the district for its free meals, according to a news release.

“The program is designed to ensure that children have access to nutrition during the time when school lunches are not available and to help ensure that their students have a healthy body and mind for the remainder of the school year,” it states.