By Associated Press - Wednesday, December 25, 2019

COLCHESTER, Vt. (AP) - A Vermont student is helping to pay his classmates’ unpaid lunch bills this Christmas.

Justin Sears launched a GoFundMe page with help from his parents to raise $600 to cover the lunch debt at the Mallets Bay School in Colchester, Mychamplainvalley.com reported. As of Wednesday, Christmas Day, nearly $900 had been donated through the page.

“’Giving is not just about making a donation, it’s about making a difference.’ – And this will make a difference in allowing families to start fresh in the new year,’” the page states, adding that Sears decided to skip a few presents in order to donate money to the cause.



“Receiving, I don’t think, is as good as giving to people,” Sears said.

More than 17,000 children in Vermont live in food-insecure households, according to Hunger Free Vermont. The education and advocacy organization estimates half of students eat school lunch on an average day.

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