When Warwick Public Schools in Providence, Rhode Island announced it would serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in lieu of hot lunches to low income students owing the schools money, Hamdi Ulukaya stepped in.
A father himself, Ulukaya is also the founder of Chobani Yogurt. He quickly reached out to Warwick Mayor Joseph Solomon, offering to pay $50,000 of the $77K debt.
Ulukaya then took to Twitter with this message: “…as a parent, news of #WarwickPublicSchools breaks my heart. every child should have access to natural, nutritious & delicious food, so @Chobani is doing our small part to help pay this debt… business must do its part.. our responsibility as members of community. who will join us?”
as a parent, news of #WarwickPublicSchools breaks my heart. every child should have access to natural, nutritious & delicious food, so @Chobani is doing our small part to help pay this debt
— Hamdi Ulukaya (@hamdiulukaya) May 9, 2019
business must do its part.. our responsibility as members of community. who will join us? pic.twitter.com/6HOTjDE4CX
Approximately 1,650 students owe the Warwick School District’s 19 schools unpaid fees. The majority those students participate in the schools’ free or reduced-price lunches program.
Ulukaya has been joined by other businesses looking to settle the debt on behalf of the students. In the meantime, Warwick Schools have reversed their decision and will continue serving hot lunches to students whose lunch accounts are in arrears.
What Ulukaya’s also promising to deliver to the cafeterias… Chobani yogurt, of course.
Sources:
APNews: Company comes to aid of students offered jelly sandwiches
Hamdi Ulukaya’s Twitter feed: @hamdiulukaya
