No School Lunch Debt in MPUSD
Donation protected
Many families with children in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) qualify for free and reduced-price lunches because their income level is so low that they can't afford to buy a full-price meal.
Even at reduced prices, some kids don't have enough money to cover the cost of lunch. And, througout the school year, they build up debt -- money they owe the district for meals they ate during the school year.
My name is Ken Peterson, and I've lived in Monterey County for nearly 40 years. I have a son attending Monterey High School. I've long been aware that in an economy where agriculture and tourism are the backbone, a lot of people working in those industries struggle to make ends meet. Many of them live and work on the Monterey Peninsula, and have children attending school in MPUSD.
I read a news story about a philanthropist who paid off all of the lunch debt for the school district in his community -- and decided we could do the same on the Monterey Peninsula, together.
I reached out to Micha James, the Nutritition Services director for MPUSD, told her my plan and asked: 1. How much the collective debt was for district families? 2. Could the district accept a donation to cover the debt?
She told me that, for the 2016-2017 school year, the total reached about $2,500. And yes, the district can accept donations to cover those costs.
The total is a modest amount , but for struggling families, it's a burden -- a burden we can lift off their shoulders.
No child in our community should go hungry -- and no family should face yet another bill when they're trying to keep afloat.
Your small contribution will wipe out their school lunch debt, and provide a modest reserve fund that the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District food & nutrition services program can use to cover new debt in the 2017-2018 school year that begins on August 2.
All contributions are received and released by GoFundMe, which places them -- very temporarily -- in my personal checking account. As GoFundMe releases the funds, I write a non-tax-deductible check to MPUSD Nutrition Services to pay off the accumulated lunch debt.
I hope this campaign inspires others to rally and pay off the debt for other school districts in Monterey County.
The need is there, and this is the opportunity to meet that need. The rest is up to us.
If you have any questions, you can contact me directly by clicking the green envelope next to my name on the campaign home page.
And -- thank you!
Even at reduced prices, some kids don't have enough money to cover the cost of lunch. And, througout the school year, they build up debt -- money they owe the district for meals they ate during the school year.
My name is Ken Peterson, and I've lived in Monterey County for nearly 40 years. I have a son attending Monterey High School. I've long been aware that in an economy where agriculture and tourism are the backbone, a lot of people working in those industries struggle to make ends meet. Many of them live and work on the Monterey Peninsula, and have children attending school in MPUSD.
I read a news story about a philanthropist who paid off all of the lunch debt for the school district in his community -- and decided we could do the same on the Monterey Peninsula, together.
I reached out to Micha James, the Nutritition Services director for MPUSD, told her my plan and asked: 1. How much the collective debt was for district families? 2. Could the district accept a donation to cover the debt?
She told me that, for the 2016-2017 school year, the total reached about $2,500. And yes, the district can accept donations to cover those costs.
The total is a modest amount , but for struggling families, it's a burden -- a burden we can lift off their shoulders.
No child in our community should go hungry -- and no family should face yet another bill when they're trying to keep afloat.
Your small contribution will wipe out their school lunch debt, and provide a modest reserve fund that the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District food & nutrition services program can use to cover new debt in the 2017-2018 school year that begins on August 2.
All contributions are received and released by GoFundMe, which places them -- very temporarily -- in my personal checking account. As GoFundMe releases the funds, I write a non-tax-deductible check to MPUSD Nutrition Services to pay off the accumulated lunch debt.
I hope this campaign inspires others to rally and pay off the debt for other school districts in Monterey County.
The need is there, and this is the opportunity to meet that need. The rest is up to us.
If you have any questions, you can contact me directly by clicking the green envelope next to my name on the campaign home page.
And -- thank you!
Organizer
Ken Peterson
Organizer
Monterey, CA
