Districts plan summer lunches

Salt Lake City School District hopes to put more than half a million meals in hungry bellies this summer during the Summer Food Service Program aimed at ensuring low-income children have meals when they're not getting school lunch.

The program is a federally funded initiative that provides free nutritious meals to children during the summer months. And Salt Lake School District is at the helm, serving children in Salt Lake, Granite and Murray school districts.

"We found a need where children are receiving federally funded meals during the school year, but when schools are out these kids aren't getting anything so the (USDA) put into place funding for the summer feeding program," said Kelly Orton, director of child nutrition in Salt Lake School District.

He said the program enables them to set up sites in areas with poverty levels of 51 percent or more, measured by those students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch.

Then any child who is 18 or younger may come get a free lunch or breakfast. Parents and adults can purchase a meal for $2.50.

The Salt Lake School District has sponsored the program for more than 30 years and is sponsoring 70 sites this year.

Orton said last year more than 1 million summer meals were served in Utah and just under 500,000 were served by the Salt Lake City School District alone. This year the district's goal is to serve more than 500,000 meals in 26 parks, six community centers and 38 schools.

Davis District is also serving meals at 10 schools. Jordan District will serve at seven sites.

Sites serve anywhere from 100 meals daily at schools to as many as 700-800 meals at places like the Kearns Fitness Center.

According to Utahns Against Hunger, nearly 100,000 Utah children live in poverty. Utah has the fifth-highest incidence of food insecurity, with residents not knowing where their next meal will come from, and the 10th-highest incidence of food insecurity with actual hunger.

"I think hunger is very real in our state, and this is a tremendous program to help families," said Pam Tsakalos, child nutrition director for Davis District. Davis plans to serve around 180,000 meals this summer.

Statewide there are 167 sites in 69 communities where children may receive a free lunch.

For more information about site locations call Utahns Against Hunger at 328-2561 or 1-800-453-3663.

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E-mail: terickson@desnews.com