Seminole County summer meal program offers free food for kids

Families across Seminole County had a free way to help stretch grocery budgets and keep children fed when school let out: Red Apple Dining reopened its Summer BreakSpot meal network on June 1, offering nutritionally balanced breakfast, lunch and some snack service to anyone 18 and under.

The program was not limited to Seminole County Public Schools students. Any child or teen in the county could receive a meal at no charge during posted service times, a detail that made the program especially important for parents trying to cover summer food costs without losing the routine support of school meals.

Meals had to be eaten onsite, and there was no drive-thru option. Families also did not need to complete an application or register in advance, and the district directed them to the Red Apple Dining Summer BreakSpot map and menu page for menus, ingredients, locations, dates and service times.

Jamie DeVivo, director of Red Apple Dining, said the district took the issue seriously. “Ensuring children have access to nutritious meals during the summer break is something we take very seriously,” DeVivo said, adding that the partnership helped provide food security for children whether or not they attended SCPS schools.

The local effort sat inside Florida’s broader Summer BreakSpot and Summer Food Service Program, which the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says provides meals at no cost to children 18 and under while school is out. The statewide network operates through schools, nonprofit organizations and public sites such as parks and libraries, giving families more than one place to find food close to home.

Summer BreakSpot says there are 3,000-plus locations across Florida, and its interactive site map is updated twice daily as new sites are added. Families can also call 2-1-1 for help finding a location, a practical option for parents who may be juggling work schedules, child care and transportation during the break.

The Seminole County rollout also showed how the county’s summer meal access has become a yearly fixture rather than a one-time response. SCPS posted a similar Summer BreakSpot announcement in 2025, when meals began June 2, and the 2026 program began June 1. The advance planning built into the system was visible in state sponsor application deadlines set months earlier, underscoring that this service depends on coordination well before the first child walks in for breakfast or lunch.