DATE: May 30, 2018

CONTACT:
Cristen McMillan
Phone: 772-564-5527 

Mobile Café Buses are back on the road serving the community of Indian River County

Vero Beach, FL, May 30, 2018—On May 29th, the School District of Indian River County (SDIRC) Mobile Cafés were back on the road serving children 18 years and younger with nutritionally balanced lunches at no charge. In the summer of 2015, as a school district, we realized that not all of the children in the community could get to the designated school locations for their free summer meals and, as a solution, the School District of Indian River County converted a school bus into a “mobile café.” After a very successful first summer, it was clear that more buses like these were needed in our community to cover a wider area of Indian River County, and to make sure that all children who needed a meal would have one. To make this a reality, an anonymous donor sponsored a second mobile café and the school district’s Food and Nutrition Department paid for a third mobile café, expanding the fleet to the three mobile cafés in service today. Mobile Cafés stop at various locations, and children can visit the bus for a lunch to eat inside the bus on the colorful benches, or dine under the shaded awning. Buses currently serve north county from Gifford, Sebastian, and Fellsmere feeding more than 500 children per day, and south county feeding approximately 250 children per day.

Please see the attached media release from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness.

ADAM H. PUTNAM

COMMISSIONER

The School District of Indian River County will be participating in the Summer Food Service Program from May 29 – August 3, 2018.

Nutritionally balanced meals will be provided to all children regardless of race, color, sex, disability, age or national origin during summer vacation when school breakfasts and lunches are not available. All children 18 years old and younger, if open site, are eligible for meals at no charge, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. The programs are only approved for geographical areas of need where 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free and reduced-price meals during the school year.

In accordance with Federal law, and US Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (Voice). Individuals who are hearing impaired or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Summer feeding sites that are located at schools provide meals to all children in the immediate vicinity in addition to those enrolled in summer school. Meals will also be offered on our Mobile Feeding buses throughout the county.

The following sites will be participating in the Summer Food Service Program: