The 2016 Wellness Annual Report

The School District of Palm Beach County offered the Summer Food Service Program through the Seamless Summer Option again in the 2015-2016 school year. The nutrition requirements for the Seamless Summer Option program are the same as the regular National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

126 sites were opened which six additional sites from the previous summer. Collectively a total of 324,209 breakfasts and 454,567 lunches and 5,056 snacks. This summer we branched out to offer summer meals to the Mandel Public Library in West Palm Beach.  This is part of a 5 year plan to increase participation in the Summer Food Service Program. We provide food service from one of the nearby elementary schools, two staff members delivered and provided the meals to the children in the children’s library section.  Administrators of the library and volunteers assisted with crowd control and meal distribution.  The Summer Food Service Program at the library was open from June 13, 2016 to August 5, 2016 and served 3,605 lunches and 5,056 snacks.

Throughout Palm Beach County there are five other Summer Food Service sponsors. Together these sponsors served a total of 8,742 breakfasts, 210,884 lunches, 62,960 snacks and 35,174 suppers.

The Summer Food Service Program is designed to provide funds for eligible sponsoring organizations to serve nutritious meals to low-income children when school is not in session. All children, whether enrolled in a summer program or not, can eat free under the Summer Food Service Program guidelines. Children who live close to an approved site may walk to that site each day to receive free meals. No paperwork or income documentation is required from them. “Open sites” are located in areas where at least 50% or more of the children have families with incomes that fall below 185% of the federal poverty level. This is determined by the school’s Free and Reduced Price Meal Application records. The program is fully funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The School District of Palm Beach County has been participating in the Summer Food Service Program since 1999. To qualify, a school must have at least 50% of their student population eligible for Free or Reduced Price meals during the previous school year. They must also be planning a student activity on school grounds such as summer school, camps, Boys and Girls Club meetings on campus, etc.