It's pretty easy to spot: a rainbow-colored bus painted with fruits and "Food on the Move." The bus goes into isolated low-income areas during the summer so children ages 2 to 18 can have meals and snacks.
A gently used bus — that in a past life drove Leon County students to and from school — is now painted white with bright bananas, grapes, watermelon and peaches.
The bus undoubtedly stands out. On Friday, children living in Griffin Heights Apartments flocked to eat lunch served inside. The Basin Street location off West Tennessee Street, home to many low-income families, is among several stops along the "Food on the Move" bus route, first launched in June.
Backers behind the pilot program say it's helping to fill a critical need — growing hunger among children living in food deserts and rural areas in summer months, when school-issued free or reduced-price meals are out of reach.
"We spend a lot of time scouting out these pockets," said Courtney Atkins, director at Whole Child Leon, a program partner. "These are kids who depend on school to get their nutrition … These kids are waiting for us to come."
That was the case in Griffin Heights and for most sites, especially in rural areas isolated from the brick-and-mortar feeding programs. Childlike laughter echoed to the Griffin Heights parking lot, where toddlers to elementary-age children ran toward the retrofitted bus after a series of honks signaled the bus — and food — had arrived.
The mobile feeding bus, which kicked off Florida's Summer BreakSpot effort earlier this summer, is one of 10 in the state, and it makes nearly a dozen local stops, serving children ages 2 to 18.
Since its launch, 80 to 100 children per day have been fed five times a week, Atkins said. Federal funding for the state-implemented program requires children eat on the bus, decked with sitting benches and low counters instead of traditional bus seats.
Lunch, dinner and snacks are served weekdays through the pilot program spearheaded by America's Second Harvest of the Big Bend and Elder Care Services, the food providers, in tandem with several partners: Leon County Schools donated the bus and the city of Tallahassee pitched in a $16,000 grant, among others.
"We're able to come to the children at the site, provide the meals and pack up and move to the next site," said Rachel Mohler, nutrition and programs director at America's Second Harvest.
Startling hunger statistics only punctuate the need for such feeding programs like Food on the Move since one in six Americans experience hunger on a regular basis, according to Second Harvest's web site. Every month in the Big Bend, more than 33,000 people are given food by the agency; one third are children.
Mohler said advocates were finding many students went hungry during the summer.
"By them giving them access to meals in the summer, they come back refreshed and ready to learn," Mohler said.
Whole Child Leon, along with conducting nutrition education, is heading up an 11-question assessment survey to better understand gaps in resources for needy families.
Parents don't always come to the bus when meals are served, but when they do, Whole Child Leon staffers and interns learn more about their needs. However, there are times when parents don't want to open up about details related to their children, for fear that divulging too much may prompt the state to intervene.
Atkins, who was at Griffin Heights on Friday hugging some children she recognized, said the assessment survey isn't meant to reveal shortcomings that could be reported to the state Department of Children and Families.
"It's all about the relationships. That's the wonderful thing about this bus," Atkins said. "They trust the bus."
Here's a list of stops the Food on the Move bus visits:
• Griffin Heights Apartments
• Cascades Village
• Briarwood Manor Apartments
• Rockbrook Garden Apartments
• South City
• Maryland Oaks Crossing
• Tennessee Village
• Aenon Church No. 4
• Crawfordville Terrace