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Lori Prichard reporting
produced by Kelly JustSALT LAKE CITY -- Hunger is a year-round problem in Utah.
During the school year, nearly 200,000 students qualify for free or reduced-cost meals. When schools lets out for the summer, the federal government steps in and spends more than $1 million to make sure the free food doesn't stop with classes.
These meals are meant for impoverished children, though they're available to any child that wants one, needy or not.
A viewer recently contacted KSL News concerned that, while other aid programs are being cut altogether, some Utahns are taking advantage and letting the government foot the bill for food they can afford themselves.
The Summer Food Service Program
Every Monday through Friday, children line up at sites around the state to get a free lunch from the Summer Food Service Program. To qualify, they have to meet one basic standard: They must be 18 years of age or younger.
"This summer we've had more attend summer feeding programs than before," says Charlene Allert, assistant director of Child Nutrition Programs for the Utah State Office of Education.
The Office of Education runs the summer meal program, which is backed by federal money. As of mid-July, the federal government has spent more than $1 million on feeding Utah's kids.
"It's made to bridge that gap for parents that usually, their kids receive one meal per day at low cost or no cost," Allert says. "They receive free or reduced-cost meals during the school year."
But Allert is quick to add the free summer lunch sites are open to anyone, whether or not they need it.
The sites operate in neighborhoods where more than half of the school-age kids qualify for free or reduced-price meals. By setting up in needy locations, Allert explains, the program aims to feed the hungriest of children.
For the most part, that's exactly what happens at the sites, but there may be something else going on.
Broken rules and potential misuse
Acting on a viewer tip, we took our hidden cameras to the sites for one month. During that time, we talked to the people who serve the lunches every day. We also witnessed rules being broken and some potential misuse of the system.
"We had a lady here last year, she brought her kids' stroller. We thought there was a baby in it. There was no baby," on Child Nutrition Programs worker told KSL. "She was taking the lunches and sticking them under the blanket."
"A lot of the kids that were fed here will go to different parks and eat, and then come here," another worker said.
"I'll sit and watch parents eat off their kids' (lunch), and I'll go up to them and say, ‘Hey. Nope.' And they'll be all, I mean, I've had moms just swear at me and everything," another worker claimed.
The Summer Food Service Program has very few rules: Parents cannot eat off their children's meals, and the meals must be eaten on site to ensure the child gets fed. Aside from that, all children must be served for free, period.
But our hidden cameras revealed the adults don't always follow the rules. We saw some parents eating from their children's lunches. We also saw adults sending their kids through the lunch line then leaving the feeding site with the uneaten food.
Some people, who didn't want to talk on camera, told us flat out their kids don't really need the food being served, but they come every day to socialize, use the playground and feed their kids for free.
Others admitted they find the program to be about convenience rather than necessity.
"I don't know what I'd do without it now," Murray resident Jason Bryner said. "I don't have to make lunch for them (the kids)."
"A friend of mine told us about it, and we've been coming here every Monday through Friday," Murray resident Nancy Buist said. "It's easy for me because I don't have to pay for lunch or fix it."
While their kids wouldn't go hungry without a free lunch, parents like what the program does for a family budget.
"Our food bill went up almost $200 a month just having them home and feeding them, because there are so many kids," Taylorsville resident Cindy Zdunich said.
Gina Cornia, executive director of Utahns Against Hunger, says, "It's a program that is intended to encourage people to access the program. The trade-off is, is that you're going to get people accessing it who don't necessarily need it."
Cornia says she's willing to accept that trade-off to make sure the hungriest kids get easy access to food.
We pointed out that day after day, many sites we visited ran out of food and turned the hungry children away. Cornia suggested parents ask themselves an important question before sending their kids through the free lunch line.
"Does my family need this in the event that other kids might be turned away who are needier than my children?" she says.
To ensure a child gets a lunch, Allert suggests parents come early to the food program sites.
There are more than 170 of these open food sites around the state, which have served more than 300,000 meals already this summer. CLICK HERE to find the closest one to your neighborhood.
E-mail: iteam@ksl.com
