To Honor Late Wife, Man Pays Off School Lunch Debt for Community.
September 17, 2024 by Cathy Stack
Oklahoma—Sean Cummings, 60, has begun a one-man mission – in his late wife’s honor – to wipe out school lunch debt for students across his home state of Oklahoma. Sean’s motivation: love. He recently lost his wife, Cathy, to cancer, and he wanted to honor her memory by performing an act of kindness. The couple had grown to know many local families through the restaurant that Cathy owned, and he said she had always wanted to make a big community impact.
“This was one of the things. She was a chef. She owned restaurants, and her biggest thing was to feed people,” Sean said.
Cathy requested that, when the time came, people could send donations for a good cause in lieu of flowers.
When Sean learned that one school had denied one student transcripts and another prom tickets due to their minor school lunch debts, he had found the right cause to honor Cathy’s memory. He and a friend set up a GoFundMe with to ensure that no student’s education would be interrupted by food insecurity or lunch debt.
To his surprise and delight, he received an overwhelmingly positive response from his local community. To date, the fund has collected more than $85,000 for the cause, helping to wipe out lunch debt at 20 schools and counting.
“[Cathy] always believed in the goodness in people,” he fondly recalled. “There are people out there that care.”
Sean said that his new mission has helped him with deal with the grief of losing his wife. He finds solace in knowing he plays in active part in keeping his wife’s legacy of kindness alive.
“I have found it cathartic to know that she's still helping these people through my actions,” Sean said.
Sean personally visits each school to pay off and erase the debts. Sean hopes that his mission highlights this important issue and inspires schools to reevaluate their policies around lunch debts.
“You don't have to change the world. You just have to change a little of it. A small drop of kindness can have big impact,” he shared.
The Foundation for a Better Life and PassItOn believes that Sean Cummings is a hero. His action is a great example of the value of community. His caring mission will help lift a burden off many families struggling financially within his community.
Watch video here: https://youtu.be/Cm8iEB_yI1s?si=5sjEaWWJ8b6eHfmx
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