Not everyone looks forward to the end of the school year.

Students love it, teachers crave the vacation, but for some parents, those who were barely stretching their budgets during the school year and whose children ate for free at their schools, the prospect of providing for their children can be daunting. Lunch for four children can be an extra $50 a week, an added cost that is out of reach for some families, especially in today's challenging economic climate.

These families are the specific targets for Utah's year-round child nutrition program, a free lunch program funded by federal money, administered at the state level and actually put into action by schools, church and food banks in communities throughout Utah. Any child up to 18 years old can receive free breakfast and lunch at the sites throughout Utah County, said Charlene Allert, assistant director of the Utah State Office of Education's child nutrition program.

"It's a great program, and it clearly helps people who are having trouble making ends meet," she said. "With the economy so poor right now, it's really needed more now."

Her statistics show that the number of lunches provided in Provo in June was up 27 percent from last year and 31 percent in the Alpine district.

During the school year, schools offer free or reduced-cost lunch to children whose families are at a certain income level. This doesn't always mean poverty, Allert said. Poverty can be easier to spot and sometimes easier to help. The lunch programs are located in low-income areas -- in Provo that includes Franklin and Timpanogos elementary schools, in Orem Mountain View High School -- but they help people whether they technically qualify for help or not.

"Utah doesn't have a particularly high rate of poverty," Allert said. "What we have is a high rate of food insecurity. That means that you are one paycheck away from catastrophe."

Tom and Sarah Gonzales of Provo take their four children to Franklin Elementary almost every day for lunch. All four children are on the free lunch program, so this allows them to keep the same budget during the summer as during the school year.

"Considering we have four kids, it helps out a lot," Sarah Gonzales said; her husband estimated that this saved about 20 percent of their food budget.

She said she also thinks the programs helps many of the people Allert talked about.

"Some people are stuck in this in-between situation where they don't qualify for anything," she said.

Numbers for public assistance programs are up statewide, said Steve Blackman with Utahns Against Hunger. Households on food stamps are up about 20 percent in the last year, and more than 70,000 people are using WIC, which is unprecedented, he said. These are all programs that largely affect children.

"Kids really need the nutrition in the summer whether they go to summer school or not," Blackman said. "A lot of families in the state are struggling to meet basic needs."

For some parents, the big draw is the ease of the program; getting their children to a school is easier than trying to fix lunch for them all. Cheri Henriksen of Orem brings her children to save time and money and to avoid making her kitchen messy.

"It helps the budget," she said, watching as her children drank their milk and ate slices of pizza at Mountain View High. "I haven't actually bought bread for the last three weeks."

Michele Larkin of Provo brings her boys to play in the morning while her daughter is in summer school at Franklin, then they all stay for lunch.

"I like having a set meal for them and know that they're getting something nutritious versus trying to make something for them at home," she said.

This way, children are getting milk, protein, vegetables, fruit and bread five times a week. Jenilee McComb, the child nutrition supervisor for the Provo School District, said she has talked with parents throughout the years and knows they are getting real value from it. In many cases, children might not be getting the nutrients they need from meals at home.

"I don't know that they would get the balanced meal that they're getting, but I'm sure the parents would find a way," McComb said.

The school reported slightly higher numbers this year, she said; Franklin reports servings close to 400 lunches a day, and that will increase when Timpanogos closes on July 17.

Heidi Toth can be reached at (801) 344-2556 or htoth@heraldextra.com.

Locations in Utah County

Franklin Elementary, 350 S. 600 West, Provo, open through July 31

Timpanogos Elementary, 449 N. 500 West, Provo, open through July 17

Mountain View High School, 665 W. Center St., Orem, open through July 17

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