Downingtown Eateries, District Join For School Staff Thank You

DOWNINGTOWN, PA — Teachers and staff in Downingtown Area School District are being treated to a special catered lunch on Thursday, as parents and other appreciative people picked up the tab via a GoFundMe page.

Jennifer Hale, of West Bradford Township, organized the event as the year ended. She said one day as she was picking up her kindergartner from school, she asked, "What am I going to get my kids' teachers as a gift this year? A candle?" Doing school at home with her children this year was eye-opening. "I've never worked so hard in my life," she said.

The mother of eleven, five still in Downingtown Areas Schools, said she realized that the usual expressions were not enough, and there was nothing adequate to show how thankful she — and many others — were for the perseverance of the district's teachers and staff through the pandemic. She said she prayed about it and called a couple of local restaurants that the teachers often ordered from.

She told them, "I know you've had a hard year. If I could do a GoFundMe, could we do a special lunch for ALL the teachers and staff?" Of course, they were on board with the plan, Hale said.

"Our principals are amazing, everyone wanted to give back, everybody was on the same page wanting it to happen," she said.

Operation Thank You Lunch was the result of Hale's asking what would be a good end-of-year gift for teachers and school staff.

The GoFundMe exceeded its goal of just over $14,218 from 325 donors. Anthony's Cucina Fresca, PrimoHoagies, Estrella Tacos y Mas will serve 1,331 teachers and staff across 16 schools on Thursday.

Volunteers for each of the schools will help deliver and serve the catered meals, Hale said.

"There's so much good out there, you have to just look for it," she said.

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