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Teacher raises $188,000 for low-income students affected by Ferguson unrest

This article is more than 12 months old

​After two weeks of protests that turned violent, Ferguson, North Carolina, is finally starting to experience calm once again.

But the impact of the tensions, that was fuelled by a white policeman shooting a unarmed black teen, can still be felt.

One teacher in North Carolina is playing a role in picking up the pieces by crowdfunding to pay for schoo​l children's meals.

School, that was supposed to start on Aug 14, has been postponed to Aug 25, due to the protests.. 

The delay severely affects low-income children because these schools, in the Ferguson-Florissant district, allow students to receive free lunches.

So Julianna Mendelsohn planned to raise US$80,000 ($99,000) for the St Louis Area Foodbank so that it could feed students and their families.

She started the fundraising campaign on Fundly.com. and has has raised $151,000 (S$188,000) ​

It was reported that 68 per cent of students in the high-poverty school district qualify for the free and reduced-price lunches.

She wrote on the campaign page: 

When I found out school had been canceled for several days as a result of the civil unrest, I immediately became worried for the students in households with food instability. Many children in the US eat their only meals of the day, breakfast and lunch, at school. With school out, kids are undoubtedly going hungry.

She also wrote: "I am amazed to have been a small part of what has been such a wonderful show of generosity and the amazing connective powers of social media."

"This has been a tremendous ride ... I thank every one of you who helped in any way."

 

Source: Washington Post

 

 

 

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