Coon Rapids MOMS Club rallies money to help wipe out student lunch debt at Mississippi and Adams
The Coon Rapids chapter of MOMS Club recently held a community garage sale to raise money for a cause that will make a big difference to some local families: paying off past-due lunch accounts for students at two Anoka-Hennepin elementary schools.
The garage sale was held over two weekends in April and May and ended up generating $2,637. A MOMS Club member kicked in a check at the end to bring the total to $2,700, which will be used to pay down accrued student lunch debt at Adams and Mississippi elementary schools in Coon Rapids.
“For a garage sale, that’s insane. It beat any total we’ve ever had in the past,” said Amanda Whitson, president of the Coon Rapids MOMS Club chapter. “It felt amazing, just holding that cash box and realizing what a difference it would make. Some of us were literally in tears.”
When garage sale shoppers know the proceeds are going to a good cause, they’ll sometimes kick in a little extra or tell organizers just to keep the change, she said.
“Being across the street from Mississippi, which was one of our beneficiaries, really helped,” she said. “It was also the first nice weekend after Snowmaggeddon, so the timing with the weather also helped.”
The Coon Rapids chapter of MOMS Club, a support group for stay-at-home moms, typically holds a fundraising garage sale twice a year and contributes to different causes. The idea to pay off school lunch debt was brought forward by a member during the board’s monthly meeting, Whitson said.
While Mississippi was chosen for its location — the sale was held at a member’s house across the street — Adams was chosen because it has the most student lunch debt of elementary schools in Coon Rapids, totaling about $2,500. Student lunch debt at Mississippi totals about $960.
Whitson said that to keep it fair, the club donated roughly 80 percent of the total debt amount to each school, which came to about $1,950 for Adams and $785 for Mississippi.
“This is so, so generous. We don’t really even have words,” said Adams Elementary School Principal Ann Herlofsky. “I can’t say enough how grateful and appreciative we are. This really takes a burden off of (some parents’) shoulders, so they don’t have to worry about this piece. We are so very thankful. This is huge for our building.”
Noah Atlas, director of Anoka-Hennepin’s Child Nutrition Program, said donations toward student lunch debt are typically used to get as many accounts as possible under $50, which is the point at which an account goes to collections. This donation could very well eliminate the current balances completely for many students at these schools, he said.
“We will take this generous gift and try to wipe out as much debt as possible,” he said.
When distributing funds, the district tries to work first with families who are in financial straits or who really need help, he said. Regardless of the situation, the district has a policy of dealing only with parents on overdue accounts, not students.
“When students come through the line, we’ll feed them a meal. Not an alternate meal, not a different meal than anyone else. They get the same meal that every other student does,” Atlas said. “We don’t send a note home with them or stamp their hands. We deal with parents directly.”
Mississippi Elementary Principal Ann Sangster said that while her school has received donations to pay off student debt for specific families in the past, this is the first time she can remember such a wide-ranging donation that will affect so many different families.
“I think this will be a huge relief for them; it’s a stressful thing when you know you have this hanging over your head,” she said. “I was pretty amazed and shocked when I first found out about it, because from where I sit I could see the garage sale going on and I had no idea that it was benefitting our school. We are just so very grateful that they would choose Mississippi and Adams as recipients of this very generous donation.”