Summer vacation has begun and children, from kindergarteners to newly graduated high school seniors, are celebrating the school-free weeks stretching out before them. Yet for some families, summer break presents a very real, very heartbreaking problem as it eliminates one, possibly two meals a day for their children.
Food insecurity is a major issue in Jacksonville. According to Feeding Northeast Florida, there are more than 270,000 people in our community facing hunger every day, including more than 80,000 children. When school is in session, children have breakfast and lunch provided, so what happens during the summer? Many families must rely on food pantries and other programs to provide for themselves and their families.
Jacksonville is home to 40 food deserts, where access to healthy food is limited. This month, we are spotlighting organizations that address hunger and asking you to consider donating food, making a financial gift and volunteering to support their efforts.
Summer BreakSpot is a federally funded program in Florida serving no-cost meals to children and teens 18 and under during the summer months. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are available. The program operates at schools, nonprofit organizations and government entities such as libraries and parks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides the funding through the Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option. Although the cost of the food is covered by the USDA, our neighbors can help fund the other associated costs for the participating nonprofits such as staffing by donating and/or volunteering.
Food Pantries
The food pantry at Catholic Charities Jacksonville is located at 1430 Bernita Street in Arlington. It is open Wednesday and Friday and serves up to 75 families per day. Catholic Charities has created an Amazon wish list online for its most requested items, including canned pastas and applesauce pouches. It also welcomes volunteers and monetary donations.
Lutheran Social Services operates the Jan Jirousek Food Pantry at 4615 Philips Highway, open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone may visit LSS for food once a month and appointments are required. The pantry appreciates food donations and some of the most-needed items are peanut butter, jelly, canned meats, soup and cereal. A donation of $25 can feed more than 20 men, women and children. Volunteers are needed to help sort and distribute food. Visit the LSS food pantry’s website for more information.
The Max Block Food Pantry at The LJD Jewish Family & Community Services is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. It is located at 6261 Dupont Station Court East. Families can receive food every month and walk-ins are welcome.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Downtown Ecumenical Services Council (DESC) distributes groceries to families in need. Because the food distributed requires a place to store, refrigerate and cook, recipients are asked to bring verification of housing such as a JEA bill or rental lease agreement. A clothing center is also available during the same days and times. The clothing center requires IDs for everyone in the household and clients can typically expect a 20- to 30-minute wait after check-in. These services are located at 215 N. Ocean Street.
Community Gardens
Melanated Growers is committed to building community gardens across Jacksonville in food deserts so families have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. It is focused in the northwest quadrant of the city, which contains 15 food deserts. In addition to planting gardens, the organization educates others about farming and the importance of incorporating more fruits and vegetables into a healthy diet. It has held two conferences to build awareness and raise funds.
The 6,500-square-foot Grace Garden provides fresh fruit and vegetables for the food pantry at Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry (BEAM). Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, BEAM volunteers tend the garden and people are able to adopt a garden box, which provides four seasons of organic vegetables. BEAM’s Grace Garden provides roughly 8,000 pounds of fresh produce each year. A donation of $1,000 will provide sponsorship of a garden box for one year and includes other benefits like donor recognition and an invitation to their annual gala.
Urban Farms
Eartha’s Farm and Market is an initiative of the Clara White Mission. The purpose of the urban farm, located at 4850 Moncrief Road, is to improve food access in this food desert by increasing the production of healthy fruits and vegetables to sell at affordable prices. The campus includes an apiary, compost facilities, community garden, perennial fruits and herbs, annual vegetable plots, a green house and a quonset hut. Volunteers are welcome on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The Market is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fresh Ministries operates the Weaver Center’s Native Fresh aquaponics urban farm, which includes a 2,000-square-foot aquaponics system, at 616 A. Philip Randolph Blvd. This innovative farming technique yields healthy produce in a small space next to the highway. It provides fruits and vegetables for Duval County schools as well as community service organizations. Donations and volunteers are welcome. Native Fresh also offers training in sustainable agriculture for students and entrepreneurs with a goal to scale this impactful model in the future.
Innovative Partnerships
Hunger Fight produces shelf-stable meals and distributes them to hungry children through community partnerships across Florida and Georgia. It’s two primary programs are Feed The Backpacks, which provides food on the weekends to students, and Feed the Need to Read, which delivers books to preschools and daycares. Volunteers are needed for sorting books and hosting packing events. Join a community packing event at their third annual Faith in Action Community Outreach Event on June 7 at Christ’s Church in Mandarin.
The Corner at Debs Store is a collaboration between Goodwill Industries, Lift Jax, the Debs Family, VyStar Credit Union, the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation and other corporate and community partners. Through an extensive restoration project, it returned a vital resource to the Eastside community: its longtime – and affordable – corner grocery store. Located at the corner of Florida Avenue and 5th Street, The Corner at Debs Store is a market plus a career and financial wellness service center through Goodwill’s GoodCareers program, with a vision of empowering families living in the urban core to become self-sufficient and healthy through access to nutritious food and educational skills.
