Twinstar Community Foundation Pays off $68,500 in School Lunch Debt for Elementary Students in Thurston, Lewis and Grays Harbor Counties

Submitted by TwinStar Credit Union

When elementary schools in three SW Washington counties open their doors to students again, many children who have accrued school lunch debt will find the slate wiped clean thanks to a $68,500 grant from the TwinStar Community Foundation.

“The past few months have been stressful for all of us,” said Laurie Kresl, TwinStar Community Foundation president. “Our school children and their families should not have added worry once back in school about lingering school lunch debt.”

“TwinStar Credit Union was founded by teachers during the Great Depression to help them through troubled economic times,” said Kresl. “Today we face similar challenges and we are committed to providing solutions like this to help families in financial distress.”

In total, the TwinStar Community Foundation has donated $150,500 toward reducing school lunch debt since 2017.

School districts receiving the grants include Montesano, Cosmopolis, North Beach, Oakville, Mossyrock, Adna, Chehalis, Napavine, Onalaska, Morton, Griffin, North Thurston, Rochester, Tumwater, Yelm, Rainier, and Olympia.

“Nutrition is imperative to learning,” said Julie Mondry, financial services manager at Yelm Community Schools. “This grant will cover nearly all outstanding lunch debt for our six elementary schools.”

“We’re grateful to the foundation for their generosity and kindness in providing this opportunity to help students in their learning environment.”

TwinStar Community Foundation grants are funded largely by TwinStar Credit Union. Donations to the foundation can be made at any TwinStar branch location.

While this latest round of community donations focus on school lunch debt, the foundation also funds college scholarships for high school seniors, continuing education scholarships, Cheri Kennedy child daycare scholarships for a college-bound parents, and Classroom Cash grants to elementary school teachers for classroom supplies and teaching supports.

For more information about TwinStar Credit Union and the TwinStar Community Foundation, visit the TwinStar Credit Union website.

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