COLUMBIA, MO. -- The Heart of Missouri United Way launched a new program to help feed some Columbia Public School students.

The Lunch for Learning Program covers the cost of school lunches for children who need financial assistance, but do not qualify for free and reduced price lunches.

Nearly 7,000 or about 40% of Columbia Public School students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.  Some students that don’t quite qualify for the assistance have delinquent lunch accounts because their parents are sometimes short on cash.  The Heart of Missouri United Way donated $5,000 to Columbia Public Schools to start a lunch money fund for families with delinquent accounts.

Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Belcher said, “Why don’t we have a fund that parents can contribute to that would allow us to pay for those kid’s lunches that can’t afford it, just to make that a non-issue in the school district?”

An anonymous donor has pledged to match donations to The United Way’s lunch fund up to an additional $5,000, if Columbia citizens contribute to the fund over the next 2 weeks.  That would bring the maximum total to $15,000 in donations.

The Heart of Missouri United Way Executive Director Tim Rich said, “Let’s do something that will really change things for our children today.  I believe this is a part of a bigger movement that we’ve got going on at The United Way called “Community Impact”.  We’re looking at how we can change the conditions that create the needs and how do we change the future for those that are least among us.”

School lunches are the only hot meals for some students.

Columbia Public School Officials said The United Way grant will not only relieve hunger pains, it will also relieve stress in hundreds of needy children.

Columbia Public Schools Nutrition Director Laina Fullum said, “It’s hard for kids to concentrate if they worry if mom wasn’t able to put money into their lunch account.  We’re going to take that guessing game out of their hands and not have them worry about that.”

School principals will decide what families get assistance from The United Way’s school lunch fund.

For information on how to donate to The United Way Lunch for Learning Program, click on the link below.