Panama City, Fla. — Today, Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) officials visited Bay County to raise awareness of local food insecurity. Commissioner Fried spent time at a Summer BreakSpot children's meal event at Oscar Patterson Elementary School in Panama City, a partnership between FDACS, Mercy Chefs, and Feeding the Gulf Coast.

Summer BreakSpot Children's Meal Event: See photos/video

“One of my top priorities is expanding access to fresh, nutritious food for Florida's children — and that's crucial here in Bay County, where the community is still recovering from Hurricane Michael,” shared Commissioner Nikki Fried. “With Summer BreakSpot, many kids who would otherwise go home to an empty refrigerator can get a healthy, nutritious meal, bridging the summer gap between the school years. I'm grateful to our partner schools and organizations, state and local leaders, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for their partnership in feeding Florida's future.”

Also in attendance were:

• State Rep. Jay Trumbull
• Panama City Mayor Greg Brudnicki and Panama City Commissioner Kenneth Brown
• Bay County Commission Chair Philip “Griff” Griffitts and Commissioner Tommy Hamm William Dozier
• Bay County Tax Collector Chuck Perdue
• FDACS Director of Food Nutrition & Wellness Lakeisha Hood

FDACS administers the Summer Food Service Program also known as the Summer BreakSpot to provide free meals to children under 18 years old while school is out. Feeding the Gulf Coast is a sponsor of the Summer BreakSpot program and has partnered with Mercy Chefs to provide meals this summer. For more information on the Summer BreakSpot, visit  SummerBreakspot.org Or visit the FDACS  website.