OKEECHOBEE — This summer, an innovative program expanded in Okeechobee, increasing access to free meals for children through three new grab-and-go sites provided by Treasure Coast Food Bank.

Across three locations, the program distributed an additional 26,000 meals, helping bridge a critical nutrition gap during the summer months.

These grab-and-go sites provide families with additional flexibility allowing for families to pick up multiple healthy meals at once. These sites are noncongregate models that help address barriers experienced by families in Okeechobee, such as transportation, when it comes to accessing summer meal sites.

“This expansion helped us meet the needs of so many additional families,” said Judy Cruz, president and chief executive officer for Treasure Coast Food Bank. “We know the Okeechobee community greatly benefited from this flexible model, helping bring nutritious meals to kids.”

By opening grab-and-go sites at the Okeechobee Recreation Softball Fields, The Gathering Church and the Okeechobee County Cattleman’s Association Rodeo Arena, Treasure Coast Food Bank expanded its program to 15 locations and provided more than 60,000 meals to families this summer.

“Expanding with these new models was a crucial step in making sure no child goes hungry this summer,” said Sky Beard, director of No Kid Hungry Florida. “By bringing meals closer to where families are, we are helping to remove transportation and time barriers, especially in rural communities.”

Funding from No Kid Hungry Florida supported the development of this summer meal model. These expanded services are part of Florida’s Summer BreakSpot program, administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.