Good Samaritans pay off negative lunch accounts at Cassville
December 13, 2017
Charlea Estes-Jones
A couple of good samaritans gave an impressive gift to Cassville Primary families on Tuesday. According to Cassville R-IV Schools, a couple walked into the office and paid off all of the negative breakfast, lunch and milk accounts for every Cassville Primary student.
The school shared the news on their Facebook page on Tuesday morning, December 12. The post stated: “Without any desire to draw attention to themselves, they very quietly slipped in and wrote a check to help out our students and their families. From the bottom of all our hearts we wish to thank them as well as all of our gracious donors who do so very much to help and support our students in so many different ways. Thank you all.”
Cassville Schools assistant superintendent Jill LeCompte said, “It was just incredible that they did this. We were blown away.”
The couple, who wished to remain anonymous, wanted to help families, regardless of their financial circumstances. LeCompte said approximately 65 percent of the Primary students are on free or reduced lunch, so this went to help the remainder of students whose families don’t qualify for that.
She said, “The people who made the donation were clear that some of these families don’t necessarily need the help, but they wanted to anyway. We told them that people could pay, and they said it didn’t matter. They said that anyone who is working, has kids in school, is raising them is working hard, and this is their gift to them. They made it clear that it didn’t matter.”
LeCompte added, “It’s quite a balance on those accounts. There are times where we might have someone donate $200 or so to help, but it doesn’t make a dent.” While the school didn’t say exactly how much the donation was for out of respect for the donors’ request for anonymity, she did say it was well over $1,000.
LeCompte said, “Sometimes it’s just families that get busy and forget. Or maybe they wait to catch up when they get paid on Friday or whatever the circumstance. But these were just good people who liked our school and wanted to help. I don’t necessarily think there was a tie to the school other than that. I don’t think they have kids in the district or anything.”
There was also an unexpected consequence of the generosity of strangers. Some families have been paying it forward and contributing money to other kids’ lunch accounts. “Their families are now wanting to pay ahead for other kids. So, it’s started sort of a chain reaction and they are helping other kids.”
Kids at Cassville Schools are never turned away for having a negative balance or being unable to pay. The school serves them the same food as other students, not an alternative lunch.
Charlea Estes-Jones
A couple of good samaritans gave an impressive gift to Cassville Primary families on Tuesday. According to Cassville R-IV Schools, a couple walked into the office and paid off all of the negative breakfast, lunch and milk accounts for every Cassville Primary student.
The school shared the news on their Facebook page on Tuesday morning, December 12. The post stated: “Without any desire to draw attention to themselves, they very quietly slipped in and wrote a check to help out our students and their families. From the bottom of all our hearts we wish to thank them as well as all of our gracious donors who do so very much to help and support our students in so many different ways. Thank you all.”
Cassville Schools assistant superintendent Jill LeCompte said, “It was just incredible that they did this. We were blown away.”
The couple, who wished to remain anonymous, wanted to help families, regardless of their financial circumstances. LeCompte said approximately 65 percent of the Primary students are on free or reduced lunch, so this went to help the remainder of students whose families don’t qualify for that.
She said, “The people who made the donation were clear that some of these families don’t necessarily need the help, but they wanted to anyway. We told them that people could pay, and they said it didn’t matter. They said that anyone who is working, has kids in school, is raising them is working hard, and this is their gift to them. They made it clear that it didn’t matter.”
LeCompte added, “It’s quite a balance on those accounts. There are times where we might have someone donate $200 or so to help, but it doesn’t make a dent.” While the school didn’t say exactly how much the donation was for out of respect for the donors’ request for anonymity, she did say it was well over $1,000.
LeCompte said, “Sometimes it’s just families that get busy and forget. Or maybe they wait to catch up when they get paid on Friday or whatever the circumstance. But these were just good people who liked our school and wanted to help. I don’t necessarily think there was a tie to the school other than that. I don’t think they have kids in the district or anything.”
There was also an unexpected consequence of the generosity of strangers. Some families have been paying it forward and contributing money to other kids’ lunch accounts. “Their families are now wanting to pay ahead for other kids. So, it’s started sort of a chain reaction and they are helping other kids.”
Kids at Cassville Schools are never turned away for having a negative balance or being unable to pay. The school serves them the same food as other students, not an alternative lunch.
