Brier Helping Brier and Pack the Park raise funds to pay down student lunch debt

Brier Helping Brier raised $12,000 to eliminate student lunch debt for Brier Elementary, Brier Terrace Middle, and Mountlake Terrace High School. The funds support students who qualify for the free/reduced lunch program but owe balances for school lunches. The recent Pack the Park event in Lake Forest Park raised an additional $2,800 for the Shoreline School District's Angel Fund, focusing on relieving student meal debt. The district's meal debt has surged to over $20,000 this year, a significant increase from $5,000 before the pandemic. Families earning just above the income threshold struggle to afford meals, exacerbating food insecurity in the community.

In Washington State, over 257,000 children are food insecure, highlighting the urgency of addressing meal debt. Without state or federal support, local districts must divert funds from education to cover meal program losses. These initiatives are crucial in helping students focus on their education without the burden of unpaid lunch debt.