Need food for your kids over summer? Here’s how to get help.

A mom worries she won’t have enough food to get her kids through the week.

A father wishes he could cook healthy meals but can’t afford the groceries.

A teacher sees hungry, unfocused kids in class who aren’t getting the nutrients they need.

Each of these examples was submitted by Tampa Bay residents in a statewide survey from No Kid Hungry Florida, which works to increase access to food for children. In the Sunshine State, 1 in 5 kids face food insecurity, or limited access to food that would meet their basic needs. It’s a problem that’s on the rise.

During the school year, free and reduced meals can help patch gaps, but need spikes once the academic year wraps.

“Summer is the hungriest time of year,” said Sky Beard, the nonprofit’s director. “So many children in our state rely on those school meal programs as their primary source of nutrition.”

People 18 and younger can find meals and pantry items at summer feeding sites across the state, including more than 370 in the Tampa Bay region.

To find one, text the word “food” or “comida” to 304304 to get a list of nearby locations, along with operating hours and contact information. A Free Meal Finder tool is available online.

Because each site operates differently, Beard said it’s important to reach out in advance to learn more about enrollment.

Richard Rock runs a youth summer camp as program manager at Broderick Recreation Center in Pinellas Park, which operates in tandem with a pop-up meal site.

The first question parents ask: “Do you provide meals and snacks for my child?”

“They want to know because they can’t afford to provide food on their own,” Rock said.

The site offers food to families who walk up, too. He thinks often of a mother who would walk blocks to get lunch for her three kids.

“For a lot of families, this might be the only nutritious meal they get for the day,” Rock said.

Food insecurity in Florida has risen in recent years. The survey by No Kids Hungry found that 72% of Floridian families said affording groceries was more difficult than in the previous 12 months.

The demographics of who’s going hungry are changing, too, with solidly middle-class families now feeling the pinch, said Lorena Hardwick, chief external affairs officer for Feeding Tampa Bay, which distributes millions of meals in the region each year.

The No Kid Hungry Florida survey found that, of families with incomes between $50,000 and $99,000 a year, 60% said they were experiencing food insecurity at home.

These days, a family of four in Pinellas County would have to make about $100,000 to afford basic expenses, according to data from the United Way Suncoast. That’s the highest of any county in the state.

In Hillsborough County, families need at least $90,000 to get by.

But while demand for help is rising, and people’s budgets tighten, Hardwick said some donations have been harder to come by.

“The need is absolutely there,” Hardwick said.

No Kid Hungry Florida: https://impact.nokidhungry.org/free-meal-finder or text “food” or “comida” to 304304.

Feeding Tampa Bay: https://feedingtampabay.org/findfood