Student meals available at Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Sarasota distribution sites
TAMPA, Fla. - With in-class learning canceled until at least mid-April, schools around the Bay Area are preparing thousands of school meals to ensure no child goes hungry during the coronavirus pandemic.
In Hillsborough Country, 63% of their students, or roughly 123,000 kids, qualify for free or reduced-priced school meals. Without the normal breakfast or lunch meals served during a normal school day, many students could go hungry, and school officials are aware of that.
That’s why school districts are doing what they can to make sure every student 18 years old and younger have access to food.
In Hillsborough County, parents and students are able to drive up to any of the county’s 23 “grab-and-go” locations for obtain their free meals. Students will need to be with their parents in order to get the food, and they will only be able to come pick up food once a day.
HART is also providing free rides to students who have their student IDs. The service will be open from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
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Parents and students are asked to stay in their car when picking up the food. Buses will be lined up in the car lanes outside the front of the school, and school officials will be handing out the food from those buses. Walk-ups will still be accepted, however.
For more information on Hillsborough County locations, head over to the school district's website
Pinellas and Pasco counties have also opened several locations in their district as well.
Meal distribution locations in Pinellas County can be found below, and additional information cna be found by on the school district's website. The sites will be open from March 23 to 27.
Dunedin Elementary
900 Union St., Dunedin
10:45 am - 11:45 am
Eisenhower Elementary
2800 Drew St., Clearwater
11:00 am - Noon
Fairmount Park Elementary
575 41st St. S, St. Petersburg
10:15 am - 11:15 am
Marjorie K. Rawlings Elementary
6505 68th St. N, Pinellas Park
11:00 am - Noon
John Hopkins Middle
701 16th St S, St. Petersburg
10:30 am - 11:30 am
New Heights Elementary
3901 37th St. N, St. Petersburg
10:45 am - 11:45 am
Ponce De Leon Elementary
1301 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Clearwater
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Southern Oak Elementary
9101 Walsingham Rd., Largo
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Tarpon Springs Elementary
555 Pine St., Tarpon Springs
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Pasco County meal distribution locations can be found below. The school feeding sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. from Monday, March 23, through Friday, March 27.
Crews Lake Middle School – 15144 Shady Hills Road, Spring Hill
Fivay High School – 12115 Chicago Avenue, Hudson
Gulf Middle School – 6419 Louisiana Avenue, New Port Richey
New River Elementary School – 4710 River Glen Boulevard, Wesley Chapel
Pasco High School – 36850 State Road 52, Dade City
Sunray Elementary School – 4815 Sunray Drive, Holiday
Zephyrhills High School – 6335 12th Street, Zephyrhills
Sarasota County says the following locations are open Monday through Friday, with drive-through service between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Each child will receive lunch, as well as breakfast for the next day.
Booker High School
Fruitville Elementary School
Garden Elementary School
North Port High School
Atwater Elementary School