From the opening of a new free grocery store based in Tapp Middle School to a holiday family feast for the South Cobb High School community and backpacks full of food for students at Green Acres Elementary School, the community often steps up to help students and families in need.

School lunches and breakfasts are no longer free until students are enrolled in the Free or Reduced-Price Meals program, so Cobb families have a new need. Once again, the community has been quick to respond.

The non-profit All For Lunch donated more than $20,000 to Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition Services to pay off debt for elementary students in the District. 

“Donations allow us to clear charges for students who charged meals before being approved for free or reduced meals,” explained Emily Hanlin, Cobb Schools Executive Director of Food and Nutrition Services. “A big thank you to All For Lunch for paying off this debt for our elementary students!”

How to Apply for Free or Reduced-Price Meal Benefits

Other donations to clear student lunch debt have poured in from local churches and community groups to support specific local Cobb schools.

For example, Norton Park Elementary School recently received a donation of $3,400 from local metro-Atlanta mother Dawn Hood, who raised money to pay off student lunch debt.

The Norton Park donation covered unpaid lunches and provided almost a $1,000 cushion for future balances. Norton Park students created a “thank you” poster for Ms. Hood when the check was presented to the school’s cafeteria manager.

“This is a big relief for many parents and students, especially around the holidays. It helped 68 students with negative balances in our school. Next year Ms. Hood plans to grow the campaign to other schools in the Smyrna area. She calls the campaign ‘Full Tummies Feel Better,’” explained Norton Park teacher Rachel Elsberry.

Despite the recent donations, there are more Cobb families in need. According to Ms. Hanlin, more donations are needed to clear the debt for Cobb middle and high school students.

The Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition Services team fuels student success with more than 63,000 lunches and 25,500 breakfasts every single school day. They are looking for more student-focused community members to join their award-winning team.

Join the Cobb Schools FNS Team to Help Fuel Student Success