5-year-old pays student lunch debts

Katelynn Hardee, 5, warmed bellies and hearts by selling hot cocoa and cookies to help her friends at school. After baking for hours, she raised $80 that went toward paying off the lunch debts of 123 classmates in Vista, Calif.

What inspired her? Hardee’s mother told KSWB-TV in San Diego her daughter overheard her say some families had a hard time paying for their children’s lunches. She had put together a lemonade stand during the summer and decided a similar plan for this time of year would work to help her friends.

Dig deeper: Read Hannah Harris’ report in The Sift about another generous donor who stepped up to help families pay their school lunch debts.