My favorite Chobani flavors are Pineapple and Coconut. I have some of each in the fridge now and will definitely be getting more soon.
H doesn’t like Greek yogurt, but he’s had their regular strawberry before and likes it, so I’ll add that to my shopping list.
But they ARE feeding the kids! This is bad publicity for the school district, but hardly an atrocity. I would probably choose PB&J if I were to eat at that cafeteria.
Feeding the kids means they get the main meal of the day or any similar cost alternative available to the masses. They get to fit in. It doesn’t mean they get a plain white jelly sandwich causing them to be stigmatized by the other students who automatically know they have lousy parents. It’s human nature to define others by such things. It’s human nature to measure one’s own self worth by such things. It might not be correct to do so, but it happens.
Fine the parents if they have means and don’t pay.
It’s not just that parents can’t be bothered to fill out forms. I volunteered to work the check-in at our local school. My job was to assist people fill out these forms - and a fair number of parents can’t fill out forms because they can’t read them.
Also, regardless of income, you don’t know everyone’s personal financial situations. I know families who have experienced job loss, divorce, bankruptcy, severe illness, etc. That Lexus may have been purchased in better times and now they can’t sell it without being upside down.
And what happens to the rest of the food that the school district has prepared? They likely throw it away. Does it really make financial sense to throw food away only to incur additional costs to make those sandwiches?
I wonder how much it costs the schools to enforce the payments… the cost of the software, billings, personnel to deal with delinquent accounts…
In our area, a few school districts provide free breakfast, lunch and after school snack to all of the students. My kid who hadn’t eaten school lunches since elementary school pizza days, finds it very convenient to be able to grab a lunch or midday snack.
Every school district has some way of dealing with unpaid lunch bills. Do you know what yours does? A number of districts with high numbers of kids who qualify for free/reduced lunches do provide lunch for everyone. The district is question is about 37% low income. How would you fund free lunch for everyone? How many of the kids in your district actually eat the school lunches? That itself tends to skew toward the poor kids so even eating school lunch is stigmatizing in many settings. And again, the sandwich was a regular option for everyone and included sunflower butter not just jelly and the kids got the rest of the regular lunch as well – fruit/veggie, snack food, milk.
Our school also sent out a letter about money in my son’s account. Our options were receiving a check or having it donated to the free lunch program, which I did.
As a kid, my parents could afford to pay for lunch, but they never gave me money or packed my lunch. I was often in school with nothing to eat. I eventually figured out packing my own, but it was embarrassing.
My friend’s would share with me or the lunch aides would just give me a lunch. Just a reminder that you don’t know every story.
Problem is, some advocates are saying that this is not about denying poor kids a lunch. Or hot lunch. Some say that, across so many school districts, kids are shunning the “hot” lunch. And that the core issue is families who could pay. Or who have not explored reduced or free lunch.
I a not unsympathetic. But this is not as simple as it seems on the surface.
I don’t know all the facts and numbers here. But here’s one counterpoint. http://warwickonline.com/stories/let-them-eat-facts,142173
While I personally don’t have a problem with it, I can understand why not all taxpayers are thrilled at the thought of paying for lunches for all the nation’s schoolchildren, particularly if they do not have any. We do not pay for lunches for all the elderly, or disabled, also vulnerable populations, absent need. I’m not sure the school’s job is to always address bad parenting. If the family is poor, there are programs for free food. If not poor, I am not sure public institutions need to do more than the minimum, and maybe refer the parents to social services for investigation and assistance. Programs do need to be rationally run-There is no reason for anyone to pay if the rules aren’t enforced
The families wouldn’t have a balance if the kids weren’t eating. The parents’ income doesn’t matter to me. You don’t single out children and shame them to force their parents to do something.
Should we provide suitable clothing if the parents could, but choose not to? Different footwear, more coats? How about braces? Lots of kids need them and embarrassed without them.
The idea this is active “shaming” could be examined. And it’s not like the vast bulk of privileged kids want and take hot lunch, as it is, even free. You’re on emotional turf, right now.
And what about other school districts that struggle with money to underwrite or debts? Afaik, Chobani made one donation to one district.
Dang. When a corporation tries to do a nice thing and gets so much unnecessary backlash. 
Who cares how needy some of the families are?! Accept the donation/generosity and say thank you!
It also helps kids of illegal residents who are afraid to fill out forms.
I don’t disagree, Dos. But this is tip of the iceberg stuff and a public focus on narrow “facts.” Look at all the initial talk it was just jelly sandwiches and now the cry of shaming. It roils folks emotionally, without exploring more. Even (some) child advocates are saying, take a look at the bigger picture.
And I do mind the ‘one shot and gone’ actions.
Just discovered that if more than 40% of your kids qualify for reduced/free lunch you can get federal funding to provide lunch for everyone. Which results in some districts having some schools providing free lunch and others not. It’s complicated.
Why do you mind? It’s a free gift regardless. Not all actions have to be recurring to be meaningful. As the old adage goes, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
In addition to wiping the slate clean for families, it saves the school district the time, energy, and $ trying to collect. How is that a bad thing?
And what tone does it set for other folks - whether corporate or individuals - to do something generous in the future? Zero incentive if you have to worry about your nice deed resulting in backlash/criticism.
I haven’t heard any backlash against Chobani- they are free to spend their money as they wish, and I support corporate donations to schools. Just pointing out that maybe the school system isn’t a villain here either.
Yes, but apparently the adjoining West Warwick community is in dire need of support, too. And others. The selective nature of this affects me. It’s not 10k each to 5 districts. Afaik, it’s not even an established community concern effort by Chobani. And while it’s impossible to get past the good PR for Chobani right now, via google, chatter is that a big chunk of the debt is among families that could pay. Could and don’t. I’d like to see that broken down.
Btw, the upper income max for free lunch in RI seems to be 80k. That’s a family of 8, I believe.