All public school students in Decatur, Georgia have been wiped out of lunch debt thanks to generous community members and a new grant.
Children with meal debt in Decatur City Schools would have received “replacement.” lunch program Fox 5 Atlanta reported that starting Feb. 1, only milk and cheese sandwiches will be included.
The total outstanding school lunch liability in the school system was estimated to be approximately $88,000, 36% of which was accounted for by students receiving free or reduced lunch due to low income.
When news of the meager lunches for students in debt spread, parents and community members were furious, and a local CEO launched a fundraising campaign.
Can you please get a list of outstanding balances and pay them for your children so they don't have to be embarrassed like this 😢! https://t.co/Gq9rz1l70G
— Jasmine Crowe Houston (@jasminecrowe) January 23, 2024
Jasmine Crow Houston, Atlanta Area Executive, Sustainable Food Waste Management Company Gooderlaunched gofundme on tuesday.
“On Monday, we learned that Decatur City Schools plans to provide cheese sandwiches and milk to students whose meal balances have been unpaid for more than three days,” she said. I have written On LinkedIn. “This behavior can be embarrassing and stigmatizing for children, and can affect their self-esteem and overall well-being.”
She went on to say the school needs $88,000 to ensure all children have “nutritious meals that fuel their bodies and minds.”
Children should never go hungry or suffer unnecessary shame because of their parents' financial constraints. All children deserve enough nutritious food to fuel their bodies and minds for a fulfilling day of learning. I am a huge supporter of educators and I know that hunger can hinder learning and that no teacher can teach on an empty stomach.
It is important to prioritize children's health and ensure they are eating a healthy, balanced diet. We spoke with the school district's nutrition office and learned that there was an unpaid balance of $88,000 and that they were accepting donations. I set up her GoFundMe to pay off the balance so these kids don't have to face this stigma. Please consider making a donation or sharing this with your network.
According to local news outlet Dekatrish, Crowe Houston. safely raised $86,000 in just 48 hours.
However, in the nick of time, more companies stepped forward to help.
When the Arby's Foundation heard about the debt, it donated the entire amount needed to cover all outstanding meal balances.
Perimeter Roofing donated an additional $60,000 to the school district through the nonprofit organization Perimeter Cares after hearing about the debt.
A press release from CSD shared this good news in a full statement, announcing that the additional funds will be used to assist “individual families experiencing financial hardship.”
City Schools of Decatur is grateful for the tremendous support we have received from the Atlanta community. Our doors remain open for continued collaboration. However, we are pleased to confirm that, thanks to a generous grant from a corporate foundation, our $88,000 lunch debt has been eliminated. All past balances have been forgiven. CSD's poverty rate is less than 10%, and eligible families continue to receive regular meals through the National School Lunch Program. We also finalized agreements with organizations to provide additional support to individual families facing financial hardship. As a public school district, we often have to make difficult decisions. However, we remain committed to providing healthy food options to all of our students while working diligently to proactively prevent debt relapse in the future.
School Board Chairman James Herndon also told DiCatlish that the district will work to “resolve issues” with the school lunch liability system.
“In response to feedback from the community, we have also strengthened our internal systems to make it easier for families to avoid negative balances. We hope the community will give us time while the Board works to resolve the issue. ,” Herndon said. “This same advocacy at the state level is also encouraged by local communities to fully resolve concerns about school nutrition programs in all public school districts.”
Crowe Houston announced that her GoFundMe will be returning the funds she raised to everyone who donated.
“I offered to provide a donation to establish a reserve nutrition fund for future dietary balance, but unfortunately my donation was declined,” the Goodr founder wrote on Instagram. Ta.
“I can't thank everyone enough for raising this issue,” she added. “Food shaming is never an acceptable way to tackle childhood hunger, but thanks to the awareness generated by community-led kindness, it is being stopped here.”
