This January, the Arby’s Foundation is donating $1 million to pay off the school lunch debt for more than 47,000 students at 762 schools across the country. With more than $19 million in unpaid meal debt and 30 million students who cannot afford their meals in the United States, these donations aim to address the dramatic increase of student school lunch debt in recent years.

“Childhood hunger is something that no one should ever have to face, and school lunch should be a time that kids look forward to without worrying if they’ll have a meal that day,” said Stuart Brown, Executive Director of the Arby’s Foundation. “We’re honored to partner with so many local school districts to help those students enjoy lunchtime with their classmates and ease the burden on parents.”

The Arby’s Foundation believes reliable access to meals is ground zero for a child’s success. In Atlanta, home of Inspire Brands, the Foundation is proud to donate a combined $203,534 to four metro Atlanta school districts, impacting the lives of 7,413 students.

Since 2011, the Arby’s Foundation has given more than $30 million to organizations dedicated to finding systemic solutions to childhood hunger with the hope of allowing kids to focus on building, expanding, and pursuing their dreams rather than worrying about their next meal.

To learn more about the Arby’s Foundation and our school lunch debt relief program, visit foundation.arbys.com.