Mesa Valley School District 51 operates a completely free mobile meal program for ages 18 and under during the summer months.
Over summer break, many students struggle with access to healthy, regular meals the school year provides. The Lunch Lizard Summer Meal Program’s food trucks follow specific routes through Grand Junction, Fruita, Clifton and Orchard Mesa.
“In Mesa County, 1 in 3 kids have a nutritional deficit… and we’re meeting a lot of those needs,” said D51 executive chef and GJHS culinary manager Ted Riley.
The Lunch Lizard program occurs Monday through Thursday from June 1 to July 23. On weekends, the program partners with Kids Aid and the Food Bank of the Rockies to provide weekend food bags at various libraries and apartment complexes. The specific route schedule for the summer of 2026 can be found on the d51schools.org website.
“Keeping children well fed and well rested over the course of the summer is very important,” said GJHS junior Finn McGill.
On the D51 website, click on “Menu” and then the “Departments” tab. From there, click on “Nutrition Services,” and there’s a tab for the Lunch Lizard Summer Meal Program where you can find the schedule. Lunch is available at Grand Junction High School from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The program was founded in 2015 by the director of nutrition services, Dan Sharp. Lunch Lizard feeds approximately 3,000 children per week over the summer.
Editor’s Note: Amelia Breedlove is a GJHS freshman in a Reporting class. Reporting class students Brielle Johnson, Brynn Lents and Ian Tenney contributed to this article along with Orange & Black reporter Rhys Martinez.
