Summer BreakSpot

Summer BreakSpot makes it easy for kids to enjoy nutritious, delicious meals at no cost while school is out. No registration, no paperwork just show up and eat!

Many children receive free meals through the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs during the school year.  When school lets out for the summer, many of these children are at risk of hunger or poor nutrition. Through Summer BreakSpot, children and teens aged 18 and under can receive free breakfast, lunch, snacks, or dinner at Summer BreakSpot locations. Summer BreakSpot ensures children have access to the nutritious meals they need to grow, learn, and play during the summer months so that sure their bodies and minds are healthy and strong for the upcoming school year.

Many sites are within walking distance, and some sites are mobile, moving to different neighborhoods throughout the day. United Way of Palm Beach County supports enrichment activities at Mobile Summer BreakSpot sites, through community partnerships for nutrition education, literacy, water safety, and more!

United Way of Palm Beach County is organizing a Summer Book Drive through our Emerging Leaders group for Summer BreakSpot locations. The books are a fantastic draw for kids to participate in the meal program and help prevent “summer slide” *. Books are needed for all grade levels: Pre-school, Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

For PBC residents: To find a location near you, dial 2-1-1 or visit summerbreakspot.com.

For Outreach Resources to promote Summer BreakSpot, visit summerbreakspot.com.

*What Is the Summer Slide?

The concept of the summer slide has been on researchers’ radar since at least 1996, when one of the first comprehensive studies on the phenomenon was published. The study showed that kids lose significant knowledge in reading and math over summer break, which tends to have a snowball effect as they experience subsequent skill loss each year. A more recent study of children in 3rd to 5th grades also showed that students lost, on average, about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math during summer break.  Source: Scholastic.com, August 2, 2022.

The Summer BreakSpot Program is federally funded under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered, in Florida, by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Sites are locally operated by nonprofit sponsors that provide the free meals and are reimbursed by the USDA.

Literacy Data and its Impact in the Classroom (2022-2023)

1. Approximately 40% of students across the nation cannot read at a basic level.
2. Almost 70% of low-income fourth grade students cannot read at a basic level.
3. 49% of 4th graders eligible for free and reduced-price meals finished below “Basic” on the NAEP reading test.
4. Teacher disposition changes drastically during reading instruction with poor readers.
5. Student disposition changes when they are made to feel inadequate.
6. Students struggle in other academic areas.
7. 60% of the behavioral problems occur during reading assignments- group or independently.
8. Struggling readers suffer socially.
9. Struggling readers suffer emotionally.
10. The student’s family feels the emotions and social effects.

Source: Literacy Institute