Lower Merion Schools Get $24K To Cancel Student Lunch Debt

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA — The Lower Merion School District is getting a funding boost to help eliminate student meals debt thanks to the GIANT Company's Feeding School Kids initiative.

Through the Feeding School Kids initiative, school districts will be able to use the funds to support meal programs such as covering outstanding student meal debt, expanding food distribution programs, creating on-campus food pantries, and supplying extra weekend meals.

The district, which served 208,928 free meals to children in the community from March 2020 to March 2021 during the pandemic, will use the $24,000 to offset outstanding student lunch debt.

Funds donated by customers benefitted the local school district in the community in which they were given and The GIANT Company’s matching funds were awarded based on need, as determined by the number of students in the district that receive free or reduced meals.

GIANT and its customers raised more than $3.3 million to tackle childhood hunger in four states.

From Jan 4. through Feb. 28, customers at GIANT, MARTIN’S and GIANT Heirloom Market stores were invited to round up their grocery purchase to the nearest dollar or convert their CHOICE points into a donation for their local public schools’ food programs.

The GIANT Company matched the first $1.5 million donated by customers.

Through the Feeding School Kids initiative, school districts will be able to use the funds to support meal programs such as covering outstanding student meal debt, expanding food distribution programs, creating on-campus food pantries, and supplying extra weekend meals.