Students lined up for breakfast Thursday morning at Rudolph Rivera Middle School, grabbing items from a breakfast bar or pan dulce, Mexican sweet bread, paired with apples, plums, juice or milk.

“They come in, they see it, and they love that we’re able to give them breakfast,” Victoria Briceno said, cook and baker in the cafeteria at Rivera.

The Summer Meals Program is funded by the federal and state government, said Patty Morado, director of school nutrition services for Merced City School District. The program allows kids up to age 18 to eat breakfast and lunch for free Monday through Friday during the summer.

“I think a lot of our families rely on it,” Morado said. “As soon as school ended, we were getting calls for information of where to go and what times.”

Merced has a high number of children who receive free or reduced-price lunch through the schools, Morado said. According to kidsdata.org, 79.5 percent of children in Merced County were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch last year, about 20 percent above the state average.

Kenneth Cooper, principal for Rivera during the Summer Academy for Merced City School District, said that during the school year, some children come in Monday morning having not eaten since their last school lunch on Friday.

“If they’re worried about eating, it takes priority over everything else,” Cooper said. “I’m sure there are many kids who don’t get a balanced meal in the summer without this program.”

During the summer months, it’s not always certain where children receive their food. Some households rely on meals their children eat at school. In 2014, nearly 29 percent of children in Merced County lived in “food insecure” households, surpassing the national and state average.

Many Summer Meals locations are schools, making it convenient for parents who have to pick up their kids and can bring siblings for lunch, Morado said.

Cynthia James of Merced has a daughter attending the summer academy at Allan Peterson Elementary School.

“I think it’s a great idea,” James said. “Depending on where kids are at this might be the only meal they get.”

James said she has been bringing her family for lunch since the summer academy started and said the program is something she takes advantage of because food is expensive.

Merced resident Sandra Duran has five kids who don’t attend summer school, but she takes them to Alicia Reyes Elementary School often for lunch.

“I save on some food at home,” Duran said. “I save on some time. I think it’s pretty helpful, to be honest.”

Merced Meadows Apartment Complex also offers meals. Vonia Sneed-Baca said she makes sure her two children go everyday to have lunch.

Susan Tingey, cafeteria manager during the summer academy for Alicia Reyes Elementary School, said typically the program serves around 100 meals to the public.

“We have many children who walk over here on their own just to eat,” Tingey said. “Children know they have fresh fruit and will get fed a full meal.”

Merced resident Richard Mancera has a family of 10, with one child on the way, and said the biggest benefit his family receives from the program is the interaction his children are able to have with other kids. He said his 3-year-old girl is learning socialization and how a school lunch would go.

Mancera said some families live paycheck to paycheck and the program provides some relief, showing kids the community cares for them.

“We would never have a child go hungry,” Cooper said.

Monica Velez: 209-385-2486, mvelez@mercedsunstar.com