Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch / Getty
The death of Philando Castile remains on the minds of residents of Minnesota and others around the nation, and a charity erected in his name is providing much-needed assistance to students in the state. The Philando Feeds The Children charity raised well over its initial goal, effectively wiping out all school lunch debt in the St. Paul Public Schools district.
StarTribune.com reports:
As of Monday afternoon, donations to Philando Feeds the Children had passed the $155,000 mark — and the fundraiser’s founder said she hopes to expand the effort to other school districts.
As of Monday afternoon, donations to Philando Feeds the Children had passed the $155,000 mark — and the fundraiser’s founder said she hopes to expand the effort to other school districts.
That money already has been used to clear the $45,000 debt of nearly 1,800 St. Paul students enrolled in the federal school lunch program as of last month, district officials said. And Pamela Fergus said the fund will cover the school district’s remaining debt — up to $57,000 — for students who owe money once they sign up for the federal program.
“I’m not going to stop this,” said Fergus, who teaches at both Metropolitan State University and Inver Hills Community College. “Actual activism — this is pretty new to me and it fits.”
By all accounts, Castile was described as kind-hearted and knew every student’s name at the J.J. Hill Montessori School in St. Paul. Castile, who was 32 at the time of his passing, worked for St. Paul Public Schools since the age of 19.
Castile’s life came to a tragic end in 2016 when St. Anthony Police officer Jeronimo Yanez shot and killed the unarmed man in front of his girlfriend and the woman’s daughter, which was all caught on a smartphone camera.
Learn more about Philando Feeds The Children here.
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Photo: Getty
