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Spokane man raises money to pay off students' lunch debt

A Spokane man raising money to help local kids with student lunch debt says his efforts began with a story from his daughter that moved him to make a change. Robert Howe was able to raise enough money to pay off all lunch debt for Spokane Public Schools!

SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane man raising money to help local kids with student lunch debt says it all started with a story that moved him to make a change.

Robert Howe's daughter came to him one day with the story of a girl from school struggling with lunch debt and ashamed by the fact that she could not eat the same lunch her peers were eating.

That's when Howe decided he needed to do something.

“I was one of the kids who didn't have money and you know, who got the brown bag with an apple and a sandwich and it didn't feel good to me, so I imagine it doesn't feel good to them,” Howe said.

“It shouldn't be the kid’s responsibility when they go to school to worry about whether or not they are going to get the hot lunch or not,” he added.

Robert Howe found the support he needed to turn his into in a campaign through a social media group. “MTFU" or, "Man the Family Up," is a Facebook group full of men hoping to make a difference in the community.

Jason Ferraro is the owner of Ferraro’s Family Italian restaurant in Spokane and he decided he too wanted to help.

“I have a little girl in preschool and you know, nieces that go to school and I just felt a calling to be able to do something, whatever I can do,” Ferraro said.

In July, Howe organized a fundraiser with the help of community sponsors to raise money and he was able to pay off all lunch debt for Spokane Public Schools.

Now with the help of Ferraro and others in the community, he has organized a benefit dinner that will take place at Ferraro’s in Spokane.

The dinner is on August 26 and will start at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are sold online for $50, and will buy you dinner and entries into two separate raffles for prizes.

The money raised will go into a benevolence fund to help kids get the lunch they want during this upcoming school year.

Howe is working to officially start a nonprofit for what he is calling “Feed the Future,” and he hopes to one day launch it throughout Washington state and even the nation.

You can donate to Feed the Future through a GoFundMe campaign.

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