Community raises money for students behind on paying school lunches

The community helped elementary school students in Newton, North Carolina, who were behind in paying for their lunch sandwiches.

Those students had to eat cheese sandwiches and were told they couldn’t go to the school dance.

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Taryn Faucette's son attends Blackburn Elementary School in Newton and recently received an email saying her son owed $20 for school lunches.

Faucette said her son would only get cheese sandwiches and milk until it was paid and that he was also denied the chance to go to the dance.

"And then they also wouldn't be allowed to attend the dance this Friday," Faucette said.

Faucette felt bad for all the children who would miss the dance because their parents didn't have the money, or maybe just forgot to pay.

"I just wanted to do it for the kids," Faucette said. "It’s the holidays and money can be tight."

She posted the ordeal on Facebook and realized people were ready to donate money to help the students.

Faucette called the school and found out the total for the overdue lunch bills added up to $1,265, so she started a GoFundMe page to pay it off.

"I posted at 2 a.m.," she said. "By 1 a.m., we had collected all the funds."

Now the children will be able to go to the dance, and Faucette can’t believe how quickly the money was raised.

"It amazed me to see the reaction," she said.

In an update to the GoFundMe page, Faucette said she decided to increase the goal on the page to $3,500. She said she plans to meet with school officials to "see how we can use the extra funds given to help these children and families more."