Here’s How Philando Castile's Legacy Is Helping Thousands Of Students
Philando Castile was all about the children during his time on this earth, but his life and legacy continue on.
The 32-year-old nutrition supervisor was fatally shot during a 2016 traffic stop and since, a crowdfunding campaign called Philando Feeds the Children was created. The goal of it was to reduce student lunch debt in the district Castile used to work in.
Initially, the goal was to raise $5,000, however that was obliterated and not only was a lot more money raised ($111,000 and counting), an enormous amount of burden was lifted for families in serious need.
Pam Fergus, who launched Philando Feeds the Children in 2017, announced last week that the donations received so far were enough to eliminate all student lunch debt in Minnesota’s St. Paul Public Schools.
“St. Paul Public Schools System has 56 schools. K-12. And this fund, PHILANDO FEEDS THE CHILDREN, just paid off the lunch debt for all of them,” Fergus wrote on the charity’s webpage. “That means that no parent of the 37,000 kids who eat meals at school need to worry about how to pay that overdue debt. Philando is STILL reaching into his pocket, and helping a kid out. One by one. With your help. Your donations will fill that pocket for years to come. Thank you for your generosity […] You've made an enormous difference in their lives.”
The absolving of all that debt is a major feat in itself, but Fergus told CNN that it’s not the end of her or Philando’s work.
“I don't know how much it would take to help the whole state of Minnesota,” she told the network. “There is no end goal. Basically, I want a million bucks in there.”
Donate to Philando Feeds the Children here.