Five Franklin churches partnered up for the new year to pay off the total lunch debt for families in the Franklin School District.
The Rev. Jonathan Misirian of Southbrook Church said the idea came about in December while he was speaking with his staff about ways to support the community. Southbrook previously made a similar donation to Robinwood Elementary a few years ago on its own which Misirian said was well-received.
“I wanted other churches to experience the joy of serving in the community in the same way,” Misirian said.
Four other Franklin pastors agreed to help out with each church donating $250 for a total of $1,250. Pastor Bill Limmer from Victory of the Lamb, Pastor Stu Merkel from Faith Community Church, Pastor Juan Carlos Zaragoza from Root River Church and Pastor Ken Prodzinski of Cornerstone Church joined Misirian and Southbrook in the effort.
“Thank you to these leaders and their congregations for combining their efforts,” said Chad Kafka, district communication specialist. “Each organization made a financial donation that will go specifically towards families that are in need or may be struggling with costs that are associated with the education of their children.”
Misirian said Andy Chromy, assistant superintendent of business and operations for the Franklin School District, told him in December the total lunch debt was around $800. The donation amount was decided, in part, because the pastors figured the debt likely increased in the last month.
“There’s a big issue in schools with food insecurity,” Misirian said. “We’ve got five churches that are just thrilled to help remedy a significant need with some of our most vulnerable students.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” Feeding America estimates “more than 34 million people, including 9 million children experience food insecurity in the United States.”
In a special report on food insecurity, the Journal Sentinel found an average of 246,000 households in Wisconsin were food insecure and 77,000 had very low food security from 2019 through 2021, according to the USDA.
Merkel said Faith Community Church got involved because this issue directly affects kids in the community and “it was just the right thing to do.”
“Sometimes people don’t realize that kids in our own community struggle to find meals each day,” he said. “Their home life might not be what everyone expects a Franklin home is like. Our church got involved because we are committed to helping families in our community.”
Merkel added it “didn’t seem fair that kids with a debt to the school lunch program did not get the same meal as other students.”
Limmer said he thought this was a great way to remove a burden giving the students a fresh start to the New Year.
“Our mission is reaching today’s people with Christ’s victory, and this seemed like a great way to do this,” he said. “We want to be involved in our community and not just a building in our community. We really want to make a difference for our community not just for the people who attend here.”
Four of the five pastors dropped off the checks together on Jan. 10.
Annalee Bennin, district administrator for Franklin Public Schools, said schools “are a smaller piece of a bigger community.”
“Any chance we have to connect with our congregations, businesses and organizations is only more advantageous to our students and families,” Bennin said. “We appreciate the fiscal support, and we also appreciate the connection with this group of leaders where we can lean on each other to support our families through a variety of social, emotional, and financial hardships.”
Zaragoza said Root River Church “jumped in immediately” when Misirian mentioned the opportunity.
“Students matter. Their families matter,” he said. “Not only was this a small way to prove that, but we understand that generosity is contagious. So, if we value students, then we ought to embrace filling the need when it’s presented. Little by little we can make a difference and build a stronger community.”
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Contact Erik S. Hanley aterik.hanley@jrn.com. Like/follow his Facebook page,The Redheadliner, and follow him on Twitter at@ES_Hanley.
