Hero dad raises $40,000 to stop Seattle public schools from shaming poor children

A Seattle man who was disturbed by local schools shaming poor kids who can't pay for their lunches has raised $40,000 to help pay off their "lunch debts."

NBC News reports that Seattle resident Jeffrey Lew, who himself is a graduate of Seattle's public school system, was moved to act after he ready a story about local schools "where students who don't have enough money to pay for lunch are denied food, singled-out with stamps or wrist bands, or are given an alternate meal."

To fix this, he launched a GoFundMe campaign that has so far raised more than $40,000 to pay off existing lunch debts so that students don't have to feel humiliated if they can't afford to pay for lunch.

"As a parent and graduate of the Seattle Public Schools, I am trying to help ease the burden of these families and make sure these children get to eat a nutritious meal each day at school," Lew wrote on his fundraising website. "I used to look forward to school lunches each day. I am sure these children feel the same!"

Lew's campaign, which so far has attracted donations from the Safeway Foundation and singer-songwriter John Legend, is aiming to raise a total of $50,000 by the time it ends next month.