More than $40,000 going toward Southern Boone Buddy Pack program to feed students
ASHLAND, Mo. (KMIZ)
An Ashland GoFundMe has raised almost $42,000 for the Southern Boone Buddy Pack Program in memory of the district's former P.E. teacher Crystal Branch.
Branch died of cancer in February after 24 years as a physical education teacher at Southern Boone Primary School. She supported the district's Buddy Pack program to provide food for students in need and delivered packs every Thursday, according to her obituary.
Branch's husband, Jeff Branch, said it was a no-brainer to honor his wife's memory by asking for donations to the Buddy Pack program to continue her work. The GoFundMe started with an initial goal of $10,000, but had raised $41,752 as of Wednesday afternoon.
"It says a lot for her and the family and what people think of them and especially her," Jeff Branch said. "She always had a smile on her face and touched a lot of lives."
The goal of the Buddy Pack program is to reduce hunger when school is not in session such as over weekends and holidays. Feeding America reports 1-in-8 Missouri children face hunger.
Southern Boone spokesperson Matt Sharp said the district's Buddy Pack program serves over 140 kids a week in pre-K through 12th grade. The district's website said eligible students receive individual servings of kid-friendly foods each week, such as cereal, oatmeal, canned fruit and juice. A Moser's voucher is also provided once a month.
Data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shows 15.6% of Southern Boone students were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch in the 2022-23 school year. The district saw an increase of almost 100 eligible students from the 2021-22 school year to the 2022-23 school year.
Statewide, around 47% of Missouri students are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch.
Primary school principal Brandy Clark said the district has children who struggle with food insecurity, and that is a basic need that needs to be met before the district can focus on teaching.
"We have to provide them the food stability and try to do our best and our part as a district to make sure that we are helping our students even outside school hours," Clark said. "If we can do that, then the sky's the limit for kids when it comes to the academics."
The Buddy Pack program has been in place for around 18 years. It is fully funded by the community and it takes around $16,000 to $18,000 per year to completely fund.
Clark said the large donation in honor of Crystal Branch will allow the program to continue for years to come.
"We're going to be able to feed kids for years, and we'll have that financial security to know that this is going to be able to keep continuing," Clark said.
High school students are responsible for organizing the buddy packs and taking them to each school to be distributed to students. Clark said Crystal Branch was always there delivering packs at the primary school.
"When the kids came Friday, they knew that they would have their buddy pack waiting for them in the classroom because of Coach Crystal Branch," Clark said.
Jeff Branch said he never knew what caused his wife to be so passionate about the Buddy Pack program, but it was just a part of life. He said her dedication to Southern Boone and her students was her whole life, and the outpouring of community support in recent weeks has been amazing.
"Just the support from the community was incredible and it means a lot, and it helps my family get over it, too," Jeff Branch said. "So, it's kind of neat to watch them cope with this as well and do well with it. And that's because of the people here (at Southern Boone)."
