Today, the median household income in the United States for a family for four is $83,730*.

To qualify for a reduced-priced lunch, that same family of four would need to earn less than $59,478**.

To qualify for a free lunch….$41,795**.

Many working families earn just above the federal income thresholds for free or reduced-price school lunch, yet cannot afford the daily cost of lunch at school. These rigid eligibility cutoffs fail to account for regional cost-of-living differences, rising housing and food prices, or families supporting multiple children on modest wages. As a result, children are excluded from assistance not because their families are financially secure, but because the policy framework does not reflect economic reality. School lunch debt is a predictable outcome of this gap — and it places the burden of an under-resourced system on students who should never have to carry it.

*US Census Bureau **USDA Food and Nutrition Services

We believe no child should feel shame for needing food.
We believe lunch at school should be a given — not a privilege.

Every day, students are burdened with unpaid lunch balances not because their families don’t care, but because the system leaves too many behind. The result is anxiety, stigma, and children learning too early that hunger comes with consequences.

Lunch It Forward exists to change that.

By eliminating school lunch debt, we restore dignity, relieve families, and help schools focus on what matters most — educating kids. Our impact is simple and human: children eat freely, families breathe easier, and schools choose compassion.

Until every child can eat at school without shame or debt, our work continues.