HOWELL, Mich. (WLNS) — No child should go hungry. Livingston County veterans are trying to make sure no one goes hungry.
Howell School’s American Legion Post, along with Howell and Weberville Schools, is stepping up efforts to cover Fowlerville School’s outstanding school lunch debt.
One member said she was scrolling through Facebook when she came across a post that was harsh on her. I suggested that I consider calling the local school and repaying my child’s overdue lunch money instead of “paying it forward” at Starbucks.
So Bobby Bright took the idea to the American Veterans Association board of directors and made it a reality.
“We all volunteered to serve at one time or another, and we continue to serve,” said Bright, a member of American Legion Post 141 in Howell.
Approximately $1,000 covered the total school lunch debt for all three schools. About $800 of that money was donated to Fowlerville schools.
Amy Verhell-Smith, food and nutrition director for Fowlerville Schools, said this is a huge relief because once a student’s debt reaches a certain amount, they can no longer afford to buy food.
“It’s great; it’s a huge benefit for the kids,” Verchel-Smith said. “We are here to feed the children.”
Michigan recently approved one free breakfast and one free lunch for all students in its 2024 budget, but that doesn’t cover everything.
“Students sometimes end up with negative accounts because they buy extra appetizers,” Verhell-Smith said. “It could be another pizza or a second sandwich or something like that. In elementary school, a lot of students bring their own lunch, so they buy milk, but in that case they have to pay. , such things are not subject to the governor’s initiative.”
So American Legion Post 141 made sure to pick it up. Some of the veterans ate lunch with their children when they made a donation in Fowlerville.
“That’s all the post is behind me,” Bright said. “I don’t speak for the Post, but everyone here feels that way. No child should go home hungry.”
Bright told 6 News this may just be the beginning. There are plans to pay off the debt again this spring, and the veterans hope to make it an annual effort.