A school cafeteria worker in Colorado was recently fired for giving hungry students free lunches.
Della Curry, 35, worked at the Dakota Valley Elementary School when she got the axe for violating district rules by feeding children who couldn't afford to buy lunch.
The Cherry Creek School District has a free lunch program for students whose families -- of four or more -- do not make more than $31,000.
It also has a discounted program for students whose families don't make more than a combined $45,000.
However, there are families that earn more than the provided amounts but are still unable to pay for their childrens' school lunches.
If a child's family doesn't meet the stated requirements, that child will only be provided a slice of cheese on a hamburger bun and a small carton of milk.
Curry said,
I had a first grader in front of me, crying, because she doesn't have enough money for lunch. Yes, I gave her lunch.
Curry was fired because she technically broke the rules by giving these children free lunches. At one point, she even paid for their lunches out of her own pocket to get around the rules.
Curry wrote a Facebook post after she was fired, explaining her actions.
She said,
While I know that what I did was legally wrong, I do not feel bad about it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I will never understand how the 'best' country in the world considers a cheese sandwich to be adequate nutrition for a child. I will never understand how one of the richest countries in the world cannot provide lunch for its children.
It's unclear if any changes will be made to the Cherry Creek School District's policy in light of this situation, but Curry hopes something will come of it.
She said,
If me getting fired for it is one way that we can try to change this, I'll take it in a heartbeat.
Citations: School Kitchen Manager and Mother of Two Gets FIRED For Giving Away Free Lunch to a Hungry First Grader Who Was Crying Because She Didnt Have Enough Money to Pay (Daily Mail)
