Westonka Foodies Annual Angel Fund Drive starts November 14, 2022 and runs through December 31, 2022 

A few years ago, Westonka Foodies staff started a fund called the Angel Fund.  Every year since, community members generously donated because they see the struggles some of the Westonka students go through due to financial and personal difficulties in their families.  This fund is used to pay for breakfast and lunch meal account charges for students who may otherwise go without. 

The goal of the Angel Fund this year is to raise $10,000 to provide fresh, healthy food for the children described above.  

I wish I could report to you today that we have no students in such dire circumstances this year, but unfortunately the number is still very large. Over 350 students have been identified by the school as children who may not have enough to eat on a daily basis. Let’s work together to prevent these things from happening. Please consider making a donation to support these efforts and pass this link to anyone else who may be inclined to do the same. Online donations do not include any transaction fees. All donations will be used to meet the needs of the children described above.

All donations are tax deductible. Thank you for your consideration,

Laura Metzger

Director of Food and Nutrition Services

Anonymous Donor Surprises Shirley Hills Students, Families with Westonka Foodies Angel Fund Donation

The Westonka Foodies were contacted last week with the news that an anonymous donor was going to clear all negative meal balances for students at Shirley Hills Primary School.  

“Many of our families continue to struggle financially due to the rising cost of everything, it seems, in our lives right now,” said Westonka Food and Nutrition Services Director Laura Metzger. “This donation was a wonderful gift that will hopefully help relieve some financial stress for 22 Shirley Hills families.”

All Westonka Public Schools students can receive breakfast and lunch at school with no questions asked. “At Westonka, we simply allow students to eat so their brains are ready to learn,” Metzger explained. “However, this sometimes means that student meal accounts go into negative balances, and the district needs to make up that cost.”

Several years ago, the district created the Westonka Foodies Angel Fund to assist families that do not qualify for free school meals but need help covering the costs. According to Metzger, for families struggling to pay for school meals, donations to the Angel Fund do not go unnoticed and are greatly appreciated. Metzger said, “Thank you to our most recent generous donor for touching the families at Shirley Hills!”

If you would like to assist in clearing additional negative meal account balances, please consider donating to the Westonka Angel Fund onlinecontact Deb Bailey at (952) 491-8088 or baileyd@westonka.k12.mn.us.