Man donates to school to cover all overdue lunch balances

Tuesday, October 25, 2016
VIDEO: Man donates to school to cover all overdue student lunch balances
Parents of 89 students at an Iowa school were given a big helping hand from a local motel owner, who donated money to cover all overdue lunch balances.

BURLINGTON, Iowa -- Parents of 89 students at Grimes Elementary School were given a big helping hand from Arrowhead Motel owner Jerry Fenton.

Fenton donated about $700 to the school to cover all overdue lunch balances.

"I find it hard to believe that in this day and age there are kids that go hungry. It's just unfathomable in this day and age," he says.

Fenton originally got the idea to donate to his Alma mater from a Facebook post by a mother, who paid for her son's classmates' lunch fees after finding out his family lost their job.

MORE: Mom explains why she packs two lunches for son

The outstanding balance was originally $458.63, so the money donated is enough to cover some future fees as well.

"My mortgage is paid off, I have a little in the bank. I'm not a rich person, but it's giving back," said Fenton.

WQAD reports that Fenton did not receive any of the student's personal information, only the dollar amount of the overdue balances.