PFLUGERVILLE (1080 KRLD) - Seeing a little girl lunch shamed at an elementary school cafeteria was the tipping point for one Central Texas mom.
Pamela Zuniga was joining her son at his Pflugerville elementary school for breakfast when the cafeteria worker removed a girl's box of cereal because she was behind in her payments and replaced it with toast. "She started crying. She was basically shamed in front of her peers, other students and other adults as well."
Zuniga was told she couldn't pay the child's tab because the girl was behind in her payments. The worker could not tell her how much the child owed. That's when she decided to start a go fund me page to pay off the breakfast and lunch debt for all students in the district.
"My main goal, by Christmas time, is to pay off every single debt that anyone from elementary, middle and high school may have. I want everybody to come back from Christmas break with a clean slate, not worrying about am I only going to have toast for breakfast and just a cheese sandwich for lunch. I want them to focus on their academics."
She spoke was Aramark, the district's food provider and was told the dollar amount is $14,300 and change. She says that could rise so she's set the Go Fund Me goal at $15,000.
"I can't feed everybody but people are stepping up and helping me. All together, the whole community, we can do something. We can help."