The former worker said that it was evident to her and other lunch staff that 12-year-old Gavin Peterson often arrived at school hungry. She believes that access to free meals could have made a significant difference for him.

Governor Spencer Cox announced a $1.2 million grant for schools to apply for lunch debt relief, but it will only cover a portion of the nearly $3 million owed statewide.

In regards to the 1.2M in funding that's been routed to lunch debt relief, Governor Cox says, "We are committed to ensuring Utah students receive the meals they need. I am grateful for the cooperation of the State Board of Education, our schools and districts." But, this is not a permanent solution.

Cox redirects $1.2 million in federal COVID-19 relief to new grant program for public schools. Private donors, lawmakers working to ask Legislature for permanent solution in 2025 session.

Silicon Slopes has pledged to donate all net proceeds from its individual and corporate memberships to the Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation. The school lunch debt in Utah is approximately $2.8 million...

Single mother Rebecca Wood was already dealing with high medical bills in 2020 when she noticed she was being charged a $2.49 "program fee" each time she loaded money onto her daughter's school lunch account.

A former school lunch worker is calling for statewide changes to school meal programs after trying to alert officials about a hungry West Haven boy. She argued that all students should have access to free meals, not just some. What would it take to make this happen, and is it even feasible?

Silicon Slopes has pledged net proceeds for its corporate membership program to the Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation. We are incredibly grateful for this support.

When DJ Bracken heard that Utah school children carry $2.8 million in school lunch debt, he said that number was “unfathomable” to him. “I thought about my own kid and how what kind of situation would you have to be in if you’re not able to pay for lunch."

DJ Bracken introduces the $2.8 million school lunch debt problem in Utah, and the potential solutions he's working towards as the founder of the Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation. Beyond immediate relief (in the form of donations) he talks about the need for a permanent solution, and what it could be.

Food insecurity impacts nearly 15 percent of households with children in Utah, meaning that there is not enough food in the home for every family member to live a healthy life.

Utah legislators, nonprofit advocates, local corporations, and passionate residents connected for a townhall to discuss permanent solutions to the ongoing accumulation of lunch debt in Utah.

With a single Facebook post, UTLDR was born. And, the overwhelming public response has been unbelievable. DJ and the UTLDR team are beyond grateful.

The State Board of Education is now discussing whether to support a potential bill that could provide up to $5 million more in funding, as school lunch debt has reached nearly $3 million in 2024.