Gabriel Segal, an eighth teacher at Herndon Middle School, has been on a mission to make sure students don’t go hungry so they can concentrate on their studies.
He’s working to raise money to pay off student lunch debts, and has raised $40,000 so far, enough to pay off his entire school’s debt, according to WJLA.
Lunches with milk cost $4.10, which Segal said can add up when you have several children.
Hunger and food insecurity are a problem for about 24 percent of Fairfax County residents, a report by the Capital Area Food Bank found in 2022. And roughly one third receive either free meals or help to pay for meals at school, Segal said.
Segal said he wants to raise awareness about the issue. He has been contacting nonprofits for help with funding the meals. He also is talking with county and state officials about free lunches for students, regardless of a family’s income.
People interested in donating to Herndon Middle School’s meal debt can do so through Educate Fairfax.
Feature image courtesy xixinxing/stock.adobe.com
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