The numbers are sobering. More than 14,000 children in Salt Lake County schools don’t have access to regular meals outside of school. That’s where USANA Kids Eat steps in. Community volunteers donate money, create food packs and even drive delivery trucks to ensure children have food on the weekends. 

During a special event in March, USANA Kids Eat invited hundreds of new volunteers to help pack 2,000 bags of food items for children and their families, at the donation facility in West Valley (2538 S. 3850 West). The goal was to secure new sponsors so six new schools could be added to the Kids Eat food program.

“Programs like USANA Kids Eat are vital to helping schoolchildren who are at risk of going hungry,” said Michelle Benedict, USANA Foundation global programs director. “This is why we are looking to raise awareness about the need for new sponsors to ensure children and their families have food to eat when away from school.”

School sponsorship is necessary to expand the USANA Kids Eat program. Through sponsors, hundreds of additional schoolchildren can receive weekend bags. Volunteers are available to pack the bags, but money is needed to purchase food. 

Sponsorships vary based on how many children in a school need food. After determining the number of children in need at a particular school, that number is multiplied to cover a 40-week school year. Sponsors are matched with a school that fits their budget and Kids Eat helps create the connection.

“The donation can run anywhere from $2,000 for the whole year to $50,000, depending on the school,” Benedict said. “So when we have a possible donor, we try to match them up with what feels financially comfortable for them. Then they come in and pack food every month. Some corporations do it because it’s a great team-building experience.”

Volunteers at the March event got a behind-the-scenes look at the facility and had the opportunity to pack food bags. USANA Kids Eat board member Dave Gregersen brought his wife and daughter to the event and said he loves working with the program because it makes a big difference in the lives of children.

“A child should never go hungry. If there’s a kid that’s hungry, we’re going to feed that kid,” Gregersen said. “Kids are hungry, specifically on the weekends. For the weekends, I believe the statistics show they eat one meal a day on Saturday and Sunday.”

Murray resident Robert Day attended the March event with his daughter, Mikaela, and son, Wesley. Mikaela is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and has to earn volunteer service hours. The family often performs acts of service and the Kids Eat program is one of their favorites.

“We try to come somewhat frequently because it’s a need for the community and it’s fun,” Day said. “For [my kids] it’s something tangible that they can see at the schools. They can see the bags and know that maybe that was a bag that they packed.”

Since 2019, USANA Kids Eat has delivered more than 2 million meals to children in 85 schools. It regularly provides more than 9,000 meals each week. For  information about sponsoring a school or volunteering at USANA Kids Eat, visit USANAkidseat.org

“We go about our daily lives and maybe things are going good for your family. But other people are going through stuff that you just don’t know about,” Gregersen said. “Children are hungry. If you think it’s not happening in your neighborhood, you’re wrong. It is.”