Page 32 - Florida Sentinel 6-3-22

Local
10th Annual Heritage
School Is Out For Summer But The Need For Nutritious Meals Continues
Festival Celebrates
Hillsborough County Public Schools understands the impor- tance of ensuring students have access to nutritious meals even when school is out for the sum- mer.
Beginning in June and ex- tending through July 28, stu- dents will have several opportunities to receive free, nu- tritionally balanced meals as Hillsborough County Public Schools hosts the annual “Sum- mer Food Service Program for Children.”
The Extended School Year program offers students break- fast and lunch at no cost at schools that provide summer school programs. All children,18 years old and younger, can come to an open school, Monday through Thursday, regardless of whether the child is enrolled in summer school. Depending on the programs, start dates will vary from May 31st to June 13th
To find summer meals near you, text the word “Food” or “Comida” to 304-304 or click on www.summer- breakspot.org
“We know many of our fami- lies rely on our schools for ac- cess to nutritious breakfast and lunch for their children during the academic year. The need does not go away once the school year ends. We hope that providing these meals will greatly reduce the financial bur- den on caretakers over summer break,” said Hillsborough County Public Schools Superin- tendent Addison Davis. “I am grateful for our Student Nutri- tion Services team who will feed thousands of children over the summer months ensuring we build stronger, healthier com- munities and provide all learn- ers with the opportunity to thrive when school returns in the fall.”
Caribbean Americans
By MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
As we celebrate the start of summer, there are many ways to show support for people of color in the Tampa Bay Area. In addition to the Juneteenth celebrations coming up, the Caribbean-American National Development Organization (CANDO) will celebrate Na- tional Caribbean Heritage Month.
On Saturday, June 4, 2022, from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m., CANDO and the University Area CDC will present the 10th Annual Tampa Bay Caribbean Heritage Festival at University Park, 14013 North 22nd Street, Tampa FL, 33613.
The event will promote cul- tural activities and recognize the diverse cultures within the local Caribbean American community. Major cities across the United States will also be having festivals and other celebrations to honor its Caribbean ancestors.
The local festival will be held outside with musicians, live bands, DJs, Arts & Crafts, and ethnic foods in a family- friendly environment.
Performers will include:
Shurwayne Winchester, TROPIGROOVE, Jah Move- ment, J’Nelle, Freddy Montes, Mort Elementary School Band, YoungSpice Freedom Soundz, FREE- DOM SOUNDZ INTL, Aramis y Sol Caribe, among others.
Francis Joseph, Execu- tive Director of CANDO, says the non-profit organization was created 10 years ago to ad- dress the needs of people from
FRANCIS JOSEPH
the Caribbean Diaspora, par- ticularly the underserved com- munity members. “We want to provide programs and services to help us maintain sustain- ability for our demographic. We are collaborating with mul- tiple community partners to address health and wellness, housing, and workforce devel- opment.”
“Tampa is growing, and many people are moving here. CANDO wants to ensure that Caribbean people moving to the Tampa Bay area have everything they need to be suc- cessful. This is in addition to second and third generation Caribbean folks of African de- scent that have been in Tampa.”
Tickets are $15; children 12 and under enter for free. This event is a fundraiser for Uni- versity Area CDC and CANDO, both 501(c) (3) organizations. The proceeds will be used to continue to provide excellent service.
and run through July 28th.
The district is also using re- frigerated trucks to deliver box meals to community sites with summer programs. The sites in- clude YMCA programs, HCC summer camps for kids, and all the parks and recreation sites sponsored by the Hillsborough County Board of County Com-
missioners.
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