Dining with Dignity


  • Forsyth County Schools’ School Food and Nutrition Services Department is a part of the (USDA), which is responsible for providing a safety net for Americans who are food-insecure and for developing and promoting dietary guidance based on scientific evidence. As a federal program, when a student has an unpaid meal balance that has surpassed a specific threshold, they receive an alternate meal, such as a cheese sandwich.

    Dining with Dignity was launched in 2019. Donations are placed in the school’s cafeteria house account to provide students with a meal of their choice instead of a cheese sandwich. At the end of the school year, the funds in the house account will be used to pay negative balances on student accounts. Any funds remaining in the house account will roll over to the next school year to assist additional students.

    Please note that if you are interested in “paying off a school’s lunch debt”, these figures change daily. Many of these debts are rightfully incurred by a parent/guardian and are settled by the end of the school year. When a school's lunch debt is paid off prior to the end of the school year, many times the children in need quickly reach the charge limit again, thus receiving a cheese sandwich. Providing a donation so that students don't receive a cheese sandwich instead of paying off the lunch debt allows the student to dine with dignity with a meal of their choice.

    To make your tax-deductible donation to the Dining with Dignity program:

    • Visit forsyth.k12.ga.us/edfoundation, select DONATE NOW and in the “Add special instructions to the seller” line write Dining with Dignity and the name of the school.
    • Mail/deliver your check or money order to the Forsyth County Education Foundation, 1120 Dahlonega Highway, Cumming, GA 30040. In the subject line please write Dining with Dignity and the name of the school.

    Thank you for your generous support of our students! For additional information, contact Hannah Samples.