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SOUTH SALT LAKE — When schools close for the summer, some students lose access to nutritious meals. But the Granite School District is making sure no one goes hungry.
With the price of food and gas going up, and SNAP benefits being lowered, more families are turning to pantries this summer.
The Granite Education Foundation said it's prepared to help those in need thanks to generous donors, like the Utah Food Bank.
"This is our food pantry at Kearns High," said Kim Oborn, program coordinator for the Granite Education Foundation, as she prepared for another busy day stocking shelves for students and families who struggle to put food on the table.
"A lot of food that we offer are canned foods. We have got veggies, fruit, soup, beans, flour, oil, sugar, salt. Those are really popular. During the school year, our students come and get free breakfast, free lunch," said Oborn. "But then they go home for the summer, and they don't have as much access to food."
In its 87 schools, the Granite School District has 60,000 students. Nearly half, Oborn says, are economically disadvantaged. The district's pantries fill a critical need.
"In the school year, our existing in-school food pantries saw maybe 50 to 100 families come every month. We anticipate that the numbers will be similar to that," said Oborn.
Access to reliable, nutritious meals in the summer can help students stay on track and prepare for a new school year.
"By providing food, we're able to help the students remain focused and they're able to concentrate on their goals."
Granite School District food pantry locations
- Kearns High School (open through Aug. 11), 5525 Cougar Lane; each Monday between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Thursday between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.
- Granger Elementary School, 3700 S. 1950 West, West Valley City; each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
- Mill Creek Elementary School, 3761 S. 1100 East, Salt Lake City; each Tuesday between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and Thursday between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
