AUSTIN (KRLD 1080)- An 8th grade student in Austin is raising money to wipe out lunch debt in across the school district.
14-year-old Ben Hofer started a GoFundMe campaign called "LunchCounts!" on April 21."
I just wanted to help kids who couldn't pay for lunch", Hofer said, "It's really stressful when you don't eat, and then you might not do as well in academics or sports. I just wanted to help with that".
The original goal for his campaign was $3,200, which would pay off the lunch debts at three Austin ISD campuses, among those having the highest balances in the district.
Two years ago, community members came together to pay off the Austin district's student lunch debt, reaching the district's $10,000 goal within 24 hours, and doubling the amount within a week.