In 2024, DJ Bracken, a Utah father, was sitting at the table with his daughter when he came across an article about school lunch debt. Shocked to learn that students across the state were facing millions in unpaid balances—and that his own school district alone owed $88,000—he couldn’t stop thinking about kids going hungry or struggling to focus in class. He started paying off debts at individual elementary schools, beginning with Bluffdale and Oakcrest, and what began as a personal effort quickly grew into a larger movement.

After sharing his actions on Facebook, support poured in, donations came, and the Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation was born. Since then, UTLDR has helped more than 30 schools and raised over $300,000, working directly with districts to pay off lunch debt where it’s needed most.

The foundation is also focused on long-term solutions. UTLDR helped advocate for HB100, a bill that expanded access to free lunch for more students and ended lunch shaming practices, ensuring children aren’t singled out for not being able to pay. UTLDR is exploring new initiatives, including a specialty license plate program, where proceeds from annual registrations go directly toward relieving school lunch debt. Donations and support make all of this possible—help ensure no child in Utah goes hungry at school and that lunch debt is eliminated for good at https://www.utldr.org/.