MEHLVILLE, Mo. — It started as a simple goal: erase the student lunch debt at one school. But thanks to one St. Louis County community, the entire district is getting a taste.
On Monday, students at Beasley Elementary School enjoyed a hearty lunch filled with some of their favorites.
"Today was cheesy dunkers with green peas," said Tronda Sindelar, who works in the school's cafeteria.
But those meals come at a cost. It's a price that has put the Mehlville School District thousands of dollars in school lunch debt.
"Our debt this year is almost double what it was last year," said Katie Gegg, who works with the school district's food service program.
A social media campaign aimed to get rid of the debt at Beasley Elementary, but it went above and beyond.
"Social media did its thing. They put the word out there and it just kind of grew. As a whole, we got about $5,500."
Chriss Johnson started the fundraiser only two weeks ago. At the time, she had no idea the ripple effect it would start. The donations snowballed past the $821 goal and into stocking up the Beasley Food pantry.
"It's phenomenal. Our community is very supportive of our kids and of our schools. We have a lot of support," Gegg said.
Support like Ms. Tronda, who shows students every day that a meal is more than just your food groups.
"We're feeding them, but it helps them in school, also. The concentration, a kid's stomach full, his mind's going to be good," said Sindelar.
The district said the debt changes daily after every breakfast and lunch period.
For anyone who would like to help, the district's new Pay it Forward program gives you the option to make donations online.