Wilmington family helps pay off school lunch debt

A Wilmington family is spreading good cheer as Christmas approaches, helping local families pay off outstanding school lunch debt with assistance from the community.

On Monday, Shauna Jandeska posted a message to the Wilmington, IL Community Group on Facebook that she and her daughter were looking to make the season a little brighter for students at Wilmington School District 209-U.

Shauna said she asked her 10-year-old daughter Aria for five Christmas wish list items this year, but the Stevens Intermediate School fifth grader only came back with four.

“I asked what her fifth was, and she said Mom, instead of a gift this year, do you think you could take that money for the gift and put that money toward the school lunch total,” Shauna said. “And when I said what do you mean, she said we’re allowed to put our account negative, and some of my friends don’t have money on their accounts like you guys make sure we have. So, can you help them?”

So, Shauna contacted SIS to ask if it was possible to pay off negative balances, seeking not a list of names but only a total owed. That total was higher than one might expect: $5,928 owed just at SIS. Students with negative balances are never denied a school lunch, but unfortunately, that daily cost continues to get tacked on to their balance, making it hard for families to catch up.

Shauna posted about Aria’s Christmas wish to the Facebook group to see if anyone wanted to help out, and got immediate responses. By the time she picked Aria up from school on Monday, the effort had already raised $500. Over the course of Monday and into Tuesday, that number increased by $2,000 more.

“She started crying, saying I can’t believe that, that’s crazy,” Shauna said. “So when I woke her up [Tuesday] and told her we had reached $2,500 she just sobbed, she was so excited.”

And while the effort might be part of Aria’s Christmas wish, Shauna said it’s not just the holiday spirit driving the donations.

“I just really believe that this is just Wilmington,” Shauna said. “I have seen so many people come together for families that are struggling... The outpour is just insane. This community loves to take care of its own.”

Shauna added that a lot of folks are probably just unaware that school lunch debt is problematic for so many families, and if more people knew, they’d likely continue to help out, Christmastime or not. She added that some families even reached out to her personally, thanking her for the effort and letting her know that trying to catch up on those payments has been a struggle.

“I think that’s just Wilmington, I think that’s the love this community has for one another, and I couldn’t be prouder to live here,” she said.

Shauna and her family have lived in Wilmington since 2021, attracted to the community for its small town values and good schools.

“Wilmington is just such a wonderful community,” she said. “In the summer I take my kids for a bike ride every night and the neighbors wave and they stop and ask how the baby is. It’s just such a wonderful place to be.”

As of Thursday morning, Dec. 21, Shauna and Aria had collected more than $5,300, just $600 short of their goal. Shauna plans to deliver the funds to SIS on Friday.

Those who would like to donate electronically can do so via PayPal at www.paypal.me/sjandeska, on Venmo at https://venmo.com/u/Shauna-Jandeska, or via Zelle at 815-545-9714.

Donations can also be dropped off or mailed to Shauna Jandeska at 912 S. Buchanan, Wilmington IL 60481, or dropped off to SIS directly.

“All I’m trying to do is help Aria,” Shauna added, giving credit to her daughter for sparking the idea. “It wasn’t me, it was her, and I just tried to help boost her Christmas dream.”

This story has been updated to reflect the total collected.