Who Gets a Free Lunch (and Breakfast) This Summer?

School's out and for many kids that means a tougher time getting nutritionally balanced meals throughout the day. The Hillsborough County School District, for the first time this year, is sponsoring a "food bus" program to address such a need, with a focus on the children of migrant families.

Starting June 11 and running through Aug. 9, two school district buses will be in commission in four communities, including the Greater Brandon community of Dover and nearby Plant City.

The two other communities are Ruskin and Wimauma.

School officials will use the buses to deliver the meals, then set up canopies outside the buses under which school nutrition services representatives will serve their meals. Children will be invited to eat on the bus and out of the heat.

"This initiative provides nutritinoally balanced meals to children regardles of age, disability, ethnicity, gender or national origin during the summer vacation, when school breakfast and lunch are not available," notes a release on the inaugural endeavor.

All children, ages 18 and younger, are eligible for the free meals, to be delivered according to the schedule noted below:

RCMA Location Address Town Breakfast Hours Lunch Hours Dover 3238 San Jose Mission Road Dover 8am-8:30am 11am-11:30am Westside Village 3102 Sammonds Road Plant City 9am-9:30am 12-12:30pm Grove Point 129 Laguna Oak Place Ruskin 9am-9:30am 12-12:30pm Wimauma Groves 5316-A Sun Paradise Court Wimauma 8am-8:30am 11am-11:30am