{"id":2425,"date":"2026-06-03T10:04:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=2425"},"modified":"2026-06-03T10:04:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:04:08","slug":"families-feeling-grocery-pinch-can-get-free-weekly-meal-boxes-for-kids-in-ruskin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=2425","title":{"rendered":"Families feeling grocery pinch can get free weekly meal boxes for kids in Ruskin"},"content":{"rendered":"

RUSKIN, Fla.<\/strong> – <\/span>A weekly meal-box program is now available for families in South Hillsborough County as children settle into summer break.<\/p>

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Hillsborough County Public Schools launched its weekly summer meal distribution site Wednesday at the South County Career Center in Ruskin, giving families the opportunity to pick up a week’s worth of meals in a single visit.<\/p>

The launch comes after the district’s broader Summer Feeding Program began June 1 at HOST sites across the county. Additional locations are scheduled to open June 8 as summer programs get underway. In all, the district plans to offer meals at more than 150 sites this summer.<\/p>

What we know:<\/p>

<\/div>

The Ruskin location is the only site in Hillsborough County offering weekly take-home meal boxes.<\/p>

Families can pick up seven breakfasts, seven lunches and a gallon of milk for each eligible child every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through July 22.<\/p>

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Unlike traditional summer meal sites, children do not need to be present during pickup, and the meals do not need to be eaten on site.<\/p>

The program is open to children and teens 18 and younger who are not enrolled in a summer program that already provides meals.<\/p>

School officials say the weekly distribution model is designed to make it easier for families to access food throughout the summer.<\/p>

Why you should care:<\/p>

Many children who receive breakfast and lunch at school during the academic year lose that daily source of meals once summer begins.<\/p>

Research shows food insecurity is more common among children in low-income households during the summer months, and studies have found school meal programs help reduce food insecurity while improving access to nutritious food.<\/p>

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Shani Hall, general manager of Student Nutrition Services for Hillsborough County Public Schools, said the need is growing across the community.<\/p>

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“There are more families than in several years that I can remember that are in need of help paying for food,” Hall said.<\/p>

Hall said the district is receiving calls from families looking for food assistance and hearing concerns about the rising cost of groceries and other household expenses.<\/p>

“We have several students who rely on school meals throughout the school year,” Hall said. “Summer comes, and that is a big question that a lot of families have: how can I prepare meals and serve meals to my kids throughout the summer?”<\/p>

What’s in the summer meal boxes?<\/h2>

Hall said the meals follow USDA nutrition standards and include balanced options featuring whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and dairy products.<\/p>

Each child receives seven days of breakfasts and lunches, along with a gallon of milk.<\/p>

Some of the food is frozen, and families are encouraged to refrigerate or freeze items soon after pickup.<\/p>

District officials say they prepared for strong turnout on the first day and will evaluate demand as the program continues through the summer.<\/p>

How to find a meal distribution site<\/h2>

Families can find summer meal locations anywhere in Florida by visiting summerbreakspot.org and entering their ZIP code.<\/p>

The website includes locations, dates and serving times for meal sites throughout the state.<\/p>

Read more $45M cocaine bust uncovers massive tunnel to Mexico under supposed discount store<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A weekly meal-box program is now available for families in South Hillsborough County as children settle into summer break.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[4],"class_list":["post-2425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hillsborough-county","tag-hillsborough-county"],"yoast_head":"\nFamilies feeling grocery pinch can get free weekly meal boxes for kids in Ruskin - Tampa moving journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=2425\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Families feeling grocery pinch can get free weekly meal boxes for kids in Ruskin - 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