A Jacksonville food truck, the Food Doctor, is offering free meals to children this summer, filling a critical gap for families with community support.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville food truck is stepping up to make sure children don’t go hungry this summer, offering free meals to dozens of kids each day through a community-supported program.
With school out, many children lose access to the meals they depend on during the academic year. At the Food Doctor food truck, located at the corner of North Myrtle Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, that gap is being filled one meal at a time.
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Owner Tyrica Moore launched the Summer Lunch Program after recognizing the need in the area.
“I knew that the summertime is coming up, and in this area is a bit of a food desert,” Moore said. “So I know this area is in need of feeding our children. So I just said, you know what? I’m going to do something different.”
The program operates on a pay-it-forward system, where customers and donors purchase meals in advance for children. When kids arrive at the truck, they can select a prepaid meal of their choice.
“When the children approach, they’re able to choose whichever receipt, which signifies that their meals are already paid for,” Moore said. “These are paid by the community, so they choose whatever it is they want to eat, and we prepare it for them.”
Menu options include items like shrimp, hot dogs and chicken tenders. On average, about 60 children receive free lunches Tuesday through Friday, though Moore says the need continues to grow.
Local mother Cheneva said the program has helped feed her two daughters after she learned about it through a friend.
“She helped us out, and I love it,” Cheneva said. “It tastes good. Very well seasoned and I love it.”
“I’ve never seen a truck do anything like this for kids, and it’s amazing,” she said. “When I found out about it, I was like, why not go try it?”
Moore said the program has drawn support not only locally but internationally.
“I have had people reach out to me. UK, Canada, international and people are donating to support this cause to be able to feed kids on a daily basis,” she said.
For Moore, the mission goes beyond providing food.
“I love serving the children. Most importantly, I love assisting the parents because the economy is rough for a lot of us right now,” she said. “To provide love, unity and really good food — it warms my heart every day.”
For many families, the food truck is easing more than hunger.
“You can’t find nobody else with an open heart that does this for kids,” Cheneva said. “Ten out of ten on the food.”
“I am so honored to be able to take charge and bring the idea, so that way we can work together,” said Moore.
Moore said demand has now exceeded 75 children per day, and she hopes to expand the program to include Mondays as community support continues to grow.
Click here to help support the Summer Lunch Program’s GoFundMe.