‘Human kindness exists.’ Parent pays lunch debt off for entire Merced elementary school
A generous parent paid the outstanding school lunch debt for an entire Merced City school.
Rey Lupian, who has a child attending John C. Fremont Elementary School in Merced, donated $1,525.25 to clear the outstanding school lunch debt for the entire school.
”It’s shocking,” said Fremont Principal Dawn Hubble. “Tremendously kind. Human kindness exists and it matters and it’s contagious.” Hubble said she’s never seen anything like it in her career as an educator.
According to a Merced City School District spokesman, Lupian didn’t do it for the attention. He just wanted to help others during the holiday season.
According to school learning director Luis Salcedo, Lupian’s donation paid off the lunch debt of 47 students.
“It caught us completely off-guard,” Salcedo said. “We didn’t expect it. It was really good news to hear coming back from the holiday vacation.”
Salcedo said Lupian’s act of kindness is a real-life example for the students of Fremont.
“We have a lot of programs at school to show how character counts,” Salcedo said. “Character can count in a lot of ways and this is a perfect example of that.”
The Merced City School District does not have a charge limit for meals to make sure no child goes hungry. Breakfast and after-school snacks are free for all students. Some students are eligible for free meals because of household income or family size. Others may qualify through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
For those who qualify, lunch is provided at no cost. Families can apply online at www.schoollunchapp.com.
