Small Town, Big Heart: BHB Erases School Lunch Debt for the Second Year

Music, dessert, and relief from school lunch debt. That’s the recipe for success that helped Brier Helping Brier (BHB) hit its goal—and then some—for the second year in a row.

On Saturday, May 16th, BHB hosted our second annual Neighbors Feeding Neighbors event at Brookview Church. The initial goal was $8,000, but thanks to generous community members, local talent, and some truly unforgettable desserts, our nonprofit raised over $11,000! A truly remarkable achievement that could only be possible through the strong spirit of community we have here in Brier.

The evening featured jazz students from Mountlake Terrace High School and Bothell High School, who filled the room with beautiful music, while Reham’s Cake Gallery provided delicious desserts for guests. All funds raised will stay local, erasing school lunch debts at Brier Elementary, Cedar Way Elementary, Brier Terrace Middle School, and Mountlake Terrace High School. Any extra funds go to the Edmonds School District, which distributes them to other local schools in need.

Megan De Vries, Food Service Director for the Edmonds School District, explained a painful reality: while the district has 20 schools where kids eat at no cost through federal or state programs, the Brier-area schools don’t qualify. Why? Their percentage of students on free or reduced lunch falls just below the 30% threshold.

Pictured: Outgoing BHB Exec. Director Pat Rhoads, BHB Exec. Director Ann Polin, ESD Director of Food & Nutrition Services Megan de Vries, ESD Operation Manager Jill Harrison, BHB Donor Relations Director Freddie Armstrong, and ESD Office Coordinator Taura Betts

To qualify for free or reduced meals, families must make no more than 130% of the poverty rate. “It’s not enough for the state or the federal government to pick up funding for all the meals,” De Vries said. “You end up having students who might accrue some meal debt if they don’t get on meal benefits right away, or their families don’t know how to apply.”

After smashing our goal, outgoing BHB Executive Director Pat Rhoads said these words:

“On behalf of Brier Helping Brier, I’m truly humbled by the generosity of everyone who came together to support this effort. Community is at the heart of everything we do, and this event was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when neighbors show up for one another.”

Thanks to supporters like you, another year of lunch debt is gone—and students can focus on learning, not lunch.

Want to help? BHB welcomes donations year-round. Because no child should go hungry, and no family should carry that debt alone.