Denver news program raises money for meal debt
A Denver news show has helped raise more than $50,000 to pay off outstanding student meal debt in Greeley-Evans School District 6.
Word of Thanks Microgiving Campaign is a weekly feature on Next with Kyle Clark, which airs at 6 p.m. on Denver Channel 9. This Wednesday, Clark focused fundraising efforts on the Food 4 Success Campaign that is being run through The Success Foundation Serving Greeley-Evans Schools. He asked viewers to give $5 to the campaign, and announced he would match the first $55 given.
As of Friday morning, this effort has raised $52,230, and donations are still coming in, said Julie Hill, executive director of The Success Foundation.
Currently, District 6 has more than $147,000 in outstanding debt from unpaid student meals. The district has stopped trying to collect on this debt due to the pandemic and the related downturn in the economy. But without dollars to pay for this debt, money will have to be taken out of other programs. And no student is ever denied a meal in District 6 schools.
Several District 6 staff and supporters tweeted with Kyle Clark last weekend about the campaign to pay off student meal debt, and were instrumental in Clark choosing this District 6/Success Foundation program to support.
"Lunch debt gets paid off one of two ways usually: Either families struggling to get by come up with the money or the district has to cover it and take the money away from other programs," Clark said. "Food fuels learning. Kids are not shamed if they can't pay for their lunch. They get the same lunch as everyone and nobody knows."
If you would like to support Food 4 Success, please donate at coloradogives.org/
Update: September 18, 2020
Food4Success, a campaign to pay off student meal debt ran by The Success Foundation serving Greeley-Evans Schools, is nearing $100,000 in donations, according to Success Foundation Executive Director Julie Hill, and an upcoming golf tournament could help push the campaign towards its goal of paying off more than $147,000 in unpaid student meal debt.
Adolfson and Peterson, the contractor rebuilding Greeley West High School, is planning a golf tournament October 5 at the Greeley Country Club for its subcontractors. All the proceeds from this golf tournament will be donated to Food4Success, said Adolfson and Peterson Vice President Doug Johnson.
"We are privileged to be able to build Greeley West, and we want to give back in some way and support the school district," Johnson said.
Interest in the Food4Success campaign increased significantly last week after Denver 9News anchor Kyle Clark featured the program on a broadcast for his microgiving fundraising campaign. Within 24 hours, more than $50,000 had been raised, and donations have continued to come in.
No student in District 6 is ever denied a meal because of the inability to pay. That debt does accumulate if families cannot pay, and District 6 must then cover the expense from its general fund, taking money from other programs.
If you would like to support Food4Success, please donate at coloradogives.org/