MARYSVILLE – Diana Dougherty makes taking her kids to the free lunch program at Liberty Elementary School fun.

“We’re going out to eat,” she tells them.

Dougherty and son James, 5, and daughter Kayla, 3, were among almost 60 lunches served one day this week. Another almost 50 came that day for a mid-morning snack.

Dougherty has been bringing the kids to the Marysville School District summer lunch program for three years. “It helps out the pocketbook when you’re strapped,” she said.

Dougherty also likes that the school gives away free books at lunchtime. “I love that they provide books to keep the kids up” to date academically, she said.

She added that different groups will provide other services throughout the summer. “Together we can build a better us,” Dougherty said.

Angelia Paz was there with her son and grandson. She said she found out about it because the school sent home an announcement. She said both boys also like to check out books from the school library, and they would sign up for the summer reading program.

Another mom, Constante Stricklin, said she’s been coming for years. “It’s a big help” financially, she said. “Especially when we added another one into the mix, who is a constant eater.”

Stricklin said her kids like to eat with the other kids. “Eating at home gets a little old after awhile,” she said.

Stricklin said her daughter doesn’t like it when she sleeps in and misses the mid-morning snack.

But Liberty Principal Gloria Henderson said that is very common. “Kids like to sleep in during the summer,” she said.

Two kitchen staff members prepare the food for kids there and at the local Boys and Girls Club, working about four hours daily.

All kids are welcome. Anyone over 18 is charged $2. “That’s better than McDonald’s,” Henderson said, adding people from all nationalities and ages participate. The principal said the two weeks between the end of school and start of the program can be hard on some families.

“We want to limit the hardship so they can save money, maybe for some summer fun,” Henderson said, adding items from the food bank also are available.

Along with eating well, she also gets excited that so many students take a free book that was donated or check out up to 10 books from the school library.

“The summer slide is real,” she said. “Studies show students with libraries in their homes have a higher graduation rate.”