Two Rivers Church wipes out school lunch debt
When the leaders of Two Rivers Church discussed donating their Christmas offering, they unanimously decided to give back to the community closest to them.
On Sundays, the congregation worships in a bright, modern building with a welcoming foyer, comfortable mixed seating, a café area, and plenty of surrounding parking. During the week, this space serves as the bustling cafeteria at Philip Simmons High School.
Pastor Wendy Hudson-Jacoby said, “We love our partnership with Philip Simmons High School (PSHS). We meet in the cafeteria every Sunday morning, volunteer at school events and support ongoing student and faculty needs. When our leadership team was praying about where to give away our Christmas offering, we knew we wanted to give it to a group that would be impacted at the high school.”
The minister met with Child Nutrition Manager Michele Edwards to inquire about school lunch debt. She was surprised to learn that since the beginning of this school year, the outstanding debt for meals to feed students and faculty had escalated to $2,500. Expecting the number to be closer to $900 for a student body of 485, Hudson-Jacoby feared that they would not be able to raise the funds. Determined to bless local families, the church forged ahead to wipe out the lunch debt and raised the entire $2,500 within the first two hours of their Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign.
Hudson-Jacoby elaborated, “We participated in Giving Tuesday on December 3, a national day dedicated to supporting nonprofits following on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Our goal was to raise $5,000, with the first $2,500 going to the school lunch debt pay down. We had more than 40 donors give almost $6,500 that day.”
On Jan. 12, at Two Rivers Church’s 10 a.m. service, Rev. Hudson-Jacoby presented a check to Dan Minkin, assistant principal and athletic director at Philip Simmons High. Minkin commented, “We are so blessed at Philip Simmons High School to live in a community that is willing to go above and beyond for our students during the holiday season. The fact that this money was raised in under two hours just shows how much we are loved and cared for. We can’t thank Two Rivers enough for this generous donation that I know will be the best present these families will receive.”
Edwards added, “As the child nutrition manager at PSHS, I count this gift as a blessing. I am grateful that this will take stress and burden off of many parents knowing that with the new year, their student at PSHS will have a new start.”
After the check was presented, Hudson-Jacoby explained that current policy dictates that students who have a lunch debt at the end of the school year will have their names submitted to a collection agency. “Children and parents can have a credit hit for the simple act of eating breakfast and lunch,” she said.
Two Rivers Church members practice “solidarity ministry”; they believe in coming alongside with people and offering the support they request. In the next few months, church staff will be looking for ways to engage and advocate for a revised debt policy so that all children can have basic nutritional needs met. This is necessary for a positive learning environment, Hudson-Jacoby added.
“Food is a basic human need and a basic human right,” said the pastor. “Students, staff and faculty should have access to a quality, nutritious breakfast and lunch. Students especially should not be penalized if their families cannot afford to pay for their meals.”
The church plans to expand on their successful initiative and offer the same financial assistance at the end of the spring semester. “We will reach out to local businesses to invite them to join us. Our entire community benefits when families are stable and thriving.”
Two Rivers emphasizes local mission work and donates 10% of offerings to nearby groups, individuals and community partners. In 2019, the church paid rent for local families who needed help after losing a week’s pay to the hurricane evacuation; supported the Keith School Museum; provided Christmas gifts for Philip Simmons Middle School; and helped Fresh Future Farm, an urban farm in North Charleston, purchase the land they are leasing.