A unique grassroots fundraising effort organized by Carbondale Beer Works seeks to start the new year off with one less worry for some local middle school students and their families.
A unique grassroots fundraising effort organized by Carbondale Beer Works seeks to start the new year off with one less worry for some local middle school students and their families.
Beer Works owner Patrice Fuller is big on supporting various community causes, including hosting regular Wednesday Bingo nights for different organizations to raise money.
So, when one of the organizations had to back out earlier this month she put the word out for any replacement causes.
Carbondale resident April Spaulding and Fuller were texting back and forth when they remembered hearing about the school lunch debt that had been building up at Carbondale Middle School.
Spaulding made some calls, and learned that a total of $3,010 was owed for school lunches, which would need to be paid by the families or absorbed by the already strapped school district meal service program.
“Before you know it, Patrice had it put together,” Spaulding said of what so far has been a campaign run via Facebook and other social media. “We were able to raise $1,000 within 24 hours, and the goal is to pay it off by the end of the year.”
Fuller said donation pledges started coming from all over, including a $100 donation from a man in Ohio whose daughter lives in Carbondale. To date, as of Thursday, about half the money needed to pay off the debt had been raised, she said.
“A lot of people are surprised when we tell them that there’s a lunch debt in the valley,” Fuller said. “Something needs to be done. It’s hard enough just keeping up with school, and it would be nice if they could start the new year with a blank slate.”
Those who would like to donate to the cause can do so by stopping by Beer Works on Main Street in Carbondale and asking the bartenders for details. Updates are also being posted to the Beer Works Facebook page.
