Food, Friends and Funds: 7 Delectable Deeds Dished Out at School Lunchrooms in September
This article is one of a series on that features the brave, triumphant, and heartwarming stories of schools throughout America. Explore more uplifting stories on our website.
Lunchtime can often be a source of stress for students during the school day. From finding friends to sit with, to paying for meals, to dealing with the financial constraints of their families, the lunch period can be overwhelming.
Fortunately, there are many individuals who are dedicated to creating a positive lunch experience for students. Previously, we have highlighted a national initiative to prevent students from eating alone and a businessman who paid off the lunch debts of an entire school.
This month, we are celebrating seven more stories of individuals making a difference in school cafeterias:
September 5: A Florida State football player noticed a middle school student with autism eating lunch alone and decided to join him. Travis Rudolph sat across from Bo Paske, a sixth-grader with autism, during a visit to Montford Middle School in Tallahassee. A photo of this touching moment went viral and Rudolph has since developed a friendship with Paske, even giving him a personalized Florida State football jersey. Bo’s mother, Leah Paske, expressed her gratitude to Rudolph on Facebook, saying, "I’m not sure why this incredibly kind man chose to share a lunch table with my son, but I am happy to say that it will be a moment we cherish forever. This is one day I didn’t have to worry about my sweet boy eating lunch alone, because he sat across from a hero in many eyes." (Read more: Q13 Fox)
September 13: Cafeteria workers at an elementary school in Virginia received a surprise gift card as a token of appreciation for their hard work. When the workers were presented with meal boxes, they expected a free meal, but instead found a gift card inside. CBS 6 and Union Bank and Trust organized this gesture to honor the dedication and love that these unsung heroes bring to their work, not just providing food to their students. (Read more: CBS 6)
September 12: A California teenager developed an app called Sit With Us to help students find lunch buddies. Natalie Hampton, a 16-year-old, created the free iPhone app that allows students to send invitations to others who are looking for someone to sit with during lunch. Those extending invitations must agree to allow anyone to join them. Hampton was inspired to create the app after experiencing the isolation and rejection of eating alone for two years in middle school. (Read more: Los Angeles Daily News)
September 22: The Parent-Teacher Association of a middle school in Idaho donated money to a school lunch fund to help students whose accounts were overdrawn. When a sixth-grader had his lunch taken away due to insufficient funds, the school’s PTA stepped in and donated $300 to ensure that students could pay for their lunch even when their accounts were in the negative. Treasurer of the PTA, Janae Vorhes, expressed their dedication to ensuring that no child goes hungry, especially when they need to focus on learning. (Read more: KTVB)
September 26: A school district in Maryland came together to build an accessible outdoor picnic table for a disabled senior at Smithsburg High School. Eating outside during lunch was a privilege for seniors at the school, but Isaiah Horst, who uses a wheelchair, was unable to fit under the patio tables. Thanks to a technical education teacher and eight students from a nearby school, an accessible picnic table was built for Horst. This table will also benefit future disabled students, allowing them to enjoy lunch outdoors with their classmates. (Read more: Herald-Mail Media)
On September 20th, a cafeteria worker in Pennsylvania made a bold decision to leave her job due to a new policy that denied hot meals to underprivileged students. Stacy Koltiska, who had worked there for two years, felt compelled to take this action after witnessing the negative impact the policy had on children with outstanding lunch balances. According to Koltiska, the policy required her to take away hot meals from students who owed more than $25. Growing up in a household that relied on food stamps and free lunches, Koltiska found it heartbreaking to enforce this policy, especially after witnessing a first-grader break down in tears when their hot meal was replaced with a simple cheese sandwich. The school district implemented this policy in an attempt to recover the $60,000 to $100,000 owed by 300 families on their lunch accounts. However, the district assured that this policy did not affect students who were receiving free or reduced-priced lunches. (Source: The Washington Post)
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