Fourth-grader makes and sells bracelets to pay for classmates' lunches

Lexi Bergeron of Grand Haven, Michigan was bothered by what she saw at school. Instead of a hot lunch, some of her classmates got a cheese sandwich every day because they had fallen behind on payment.

She asked her mom if she could use some of her own money to pay for hot lunch for her classmates. Her mom Sara had a better idea. She told Lexi to use her craft skills and make fidget bracelets, with a goal of paying off Ferry Elementary School's $188 debt. Lexi ran with the idea, making dozens and selling them - small ones sold for 50 cents, large ones for $1.00. Sara started a GoFundMe page to help promote Lexi's project.

In a couple weeks, the $188 debt was paid off. Orders and funds kept coming. Lexi and Sara readjusted their goal - they decided to work until the entire district's hot lunch debt was paid off, $2200 total. That goal was attained in 11 days.

Because one child listened to her heart, every student in Lexi's school district can have hot lunch.

Because no student should sit alone at the lunch table

Four students at a Boca Raton high school noticed that sometimes, fellow students ate lunch alone. Having been in that awkward, uncomfortable position themselves, they decided to do something about it. They banded together to form a club called We Dine Together.

During the school's lunch break, club members roam the courtyard and seek out students sitting alone. They introduce themselves and strike up a conversation. Hopefully, the connections made will help new or socially isolated students feel part of their school community. The club hopes their program becomes a model for others across the country.

A few months ago, I highlighted a similar connectional program. That one, Sit With Us, is a free smartphone app created by a California student. She too had felt the pain of sitting alone at school lunch. The purpose is the same - to reach out and create a welcoming community to every student in the school.

The empathy shown by these sensitive students is a credit to them, their families, and their school communities. Instead of complaining about a problem, they found a way to be part of the solution.

A kind-hearted boy in New Mexico inspires a good deed in Iowa

When Josette Duran's son asked her to pack two lunches to take to his Albuquerque elementary school, she asked him why. It seems a friend had only a fruit cup in his lunch box each day, and Dylan felt bad for him. So did Josette. She and Dylan had faced some hard times themselves, and she was more than happy to share what they had.

Within a few weeks, the school principal got wind of this lunch-sharing setup, as did the mother of the other child. She offered to pay Josette for the lunches, which she graciously refused. The girls' volleyball team raised money to pay back Josette. She donated the money to pay overdue lunch fees at the school.

Josette shared the story via a Facebook Live feed. It went viral.

Jerry Fenton in Burlington Iowa saw the video. He was so moved by the example set by Dylan and Josette that he decided to act. He contacted his alma mater, Grimes Elementary School, and discovered that over $450 was owed in unpaid lunch fees. He paid that off and donated extra to offset future expenses.

A New Mexico boy with a kind heart has done more than feed his friend. He helped feed kids in two communities a thousand miles apart.