Nathen Nerf is your typical 11-year-old boy with a big appetite and he loves to eat hamburgers.

However, getting that hamburger or other meals on a regular basis has not been easy for Nathen.

That’s because his mom is disabled, with a food budget of only $75 a week. Hot meals like hamburgers were not always an option, at least not during the summer his mom Theresa Nerf said.

“When he is in school he is provided lunch,” she said.

This summer is different for Nathen and the hundreds of other Manatee County kids whose parents have trouble making ends meet.

For the first time, Manatee County is taking their free lunch program on the road, bringing hot meals to the kids, in a mobile lunch bus.

“Our meals are great because we offer protein fruits and vegetables. Low fat skim milk, so they get a well-balanced meal,” said registered dietitian Skye Grundy.



Nathen said the food tastes great!

“I like it because how good it tastes. And I like the burgers and the corn dogs,” he said.

The former school bus has an awning so that kids can eat lunch out of the sun. Or they can eat inside where it’s air-conditioned. There is even a sink where they can wash their hands.



The bus stops at three different locations and serves meals five days a week to about 40 kids at each location. Theresa Nerf said this program is already making her life easier.



“This provides him his lunch, so it about $25, $30 a week I’m saving,” she said.



The lunch bus will be running until August 8th. Any person under 18 can receive a meal.

To find out the lunch buses location, or other sites where kids can receive a free meal, you can visit www.summerfoodflorida.org.