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An anonymous donor has given Grandville Public Schools $2,000 that will be used to pay off outstanding student lunch bills at two of its schools.

(MLive file photo)

GRANDVILLE, MI -- An anonymous donor has given Grandville Public Schools $2,000 that will be used to pay off outstanding student lunch bills at two of its schools.

A woman walked into one of the district’s elementary schools on Monday, April 21, and said she wanted to donate $2,000 to pay off student meal balances, according to Superintendent Ron Caniff.

“She explained that in her youth, when she was going through school, she was from a family of limited means and occasionally there were times when they could not always afford to pay for lunch,” Caniff said. “Now, she is fortunate and very blessed and wanted to pay it forward and help other families that may be in similar circumstances.”

Caniff said the woman’s donation will pay off the meal balances at one of the elementary schools and a secondary school, as well as contribute to similar situations in the future.

Caniff would not disclose which schools will receive the donated money, as he wanted to honor the woman’s request of remaining anonymous. He said the woman is a grandparent of children who attend Grandville Public Schools.

“It’s an amazing and very generous act,” Caniff said. “I think from her perspective, it’s a way of giving back and trying to help others. Certainly it was not only generous of her, but very kind of her to realize there are families struggling to make ends meet. We cannot thank her enough.”

Caniff hopes the anonymous donation is a “spark” for others in Grandville and all of West Michigan to help those in need.

“We live in an incredible community and this is just one example of that,” he said. “For us, it’s an unexpected give and we’re very grateful. When these families realize their children have a zero balance in their meal account, I know they’ll be incredibly grateful as well.”

Kyle Moroney covers suburban schools and general assignments for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email her at kmoroney@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter or Facebook