5-Year-Old Learns Classmates Can’t Afford Lunch, Ends Up Paying Off Debt For 123 Students

[Johnboy60]

Katelynn Hardee, a 5-year-old girl from California, is already a hometown superhero.

It all started when the kindergartner overheard another student’s mom talking about her financial woes at school — and how she couldn’t afford to pay off her child’s lunch debt.

Curious and compassionate, Katelynn went home and asked her mom, Karina, what that meant.

https://www.littlethings.com/true

 

[grasping the after wind]

Katelynn Hardee, a 5-year-old girl from California, is already a hometown superhero.

It all started when the kindergartner overheard another student’s mom talking about her financial woes at school — and how she couldn’t afford to pay off her child’s lunch debt.

Curious and compassionate, Katelynn went home and asked her mom, Karina, what that meant.

https://www.littlethings.com/true

The link is not working for me.

 

[keith99]

5-year-old girl's cocoa stand helps fellow students with lunch debt

Looks like she did the work herself, not just asking mommy for money or asking others for money.

This story also includes other things that have happened, some not so nice. But since I had to walk barefoot through the snow, uphill both ways, to go to school I don't have much sympathy for kids who get free but not hot lunches.

BUT I do find the case where the district threw out the kids hot lunches to serve then cold instead twice offensive. Both for shaming the kids and being wasteful. I have related feelings for a lunch of hummus and string cheese, it seems strange and calling attention to the kids getting it, pretty close to shaming them.

I was fortunate in High School that I was able to go home for lunch, but when I did not I was pretty apt to bring something rather than rely entirely upon what was served.

 

[pleinmont]

Here in the UK free school meals are provided for children whose parents can't afford to pay for them.

During the school holidays our Anglican Priest daughter's church provides lunches for the children five days a week. My husband and I contribute to the cost of those meals.

 

[hopego]

its a bit like child sponsorship isn't it, people are moved by compassion to care for the fate of their neighbours as
when you were hungry you fed me, whatever you do for the least of them (Jesus said) you do it for me.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Here in the UK free school meals are provided for children whose parents can't afford to pay for them.

During the school holidays our Anglican Priest daughter's church provides lunches for the children five days a week. My husband and I contribute to the cost of those meals.

Free school lunches and even breakfasts are provided in my state for those that are income eligible. I could not access the link so I do not know what the situation was in this case. I would have thought that California had much the same policy as New York.

 

[keith99]

Free school lunches and even breakfasts are provided in my state for those that are income eligible. I could not access the link so I do not know what the situation was in this case. I would have thought that California had much the same policy as New York.

Pretty much. Which means when one gets just a little too much income they lose benefits. So those a bit better off suddenly have an increased expense for lunch. Some do not make enough to consistently afford it.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Pretty much. Which means when one gets just a little too much income they lose benefits. So those a bit better off suddenly have an increased expense for lunch. Some do not make enough to consistently afford it.

The eligibility requirements are pretty liberal in NY. I would say that anyone that did not qualify was upper middle class in income. I know , had my wife and I applied, our children would have been eligible but we did not think it was reasonable for us to ask others to do what we were perfectly capable of doing ourselves and we, as lower middle class income earners would have felt embarrassed and ashamed to take a hand out when we were not destitute.

 

[Mountainmanbob]

Here in the UK free school meals are provided for children whose parents can't afford to pay for them.




During the school holidays our Anglican Priest daughter's church provides lunches for the children five days a week. My husband and I contribute to the cost of those meals.

A whole lot of free lunches being given out daily at the school where my wife teaches.

These Lunch Programs have been in place for many, many years. My son is now 44 years old and they had free lunch programs back when he was in school for the ones that could not afford to buy lunch.

Something is wrong?
There may be some paperwork to fill out
for those that qualify.

M-Bob