The Lunch Ladies www.thelunchladies.org
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A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization

No Child Should Learn on an
Empty Stomach

Serving Lunch to Little Kids with Big Dreams

Founded by two Army veterans who believe every meal is a right, not a debt. We pay off delinquent school lunch accounts and fight for systemic change — one school, one community at a time.

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Our Mission
Our Mission

Two Fronts. One Fight.

Immediate Relief & Systemic Change
We founded The Lunch Ladies because we saw a problem with a clear solution — and we are not the kind of people who walk away from a mission.
Across America, children are sitting down to learn with empty stomachs, burdened by lunch debt they didn’t choose. Families face embarrassment. Schools face impossible choices. We believe this is unacceptable — and fixable.
The Lunch Ladies attacks this problem on two fronts: immediate, direct relief for the children who need it today, and the systemic change needed so no child ever faces this again.

Immediate Relief

We are actively paying off delinquent public school lunch accounts, removing the burden from families and the stigma from students — one school, one community at a time.

Long-Term Change

Our ultimate mission is systemic. We are advocating for school lunch to be included in public school funding at the state and federal level — so that every meal is a right, not a debt.

Military-Grade Mission

We bring decades of military service and leadership under pressure to nonprofit work. We are mission-focused, results-oriented, and unwilling to leave anyone behind.

Children Face Food Insecurity in America
0 M+
In School Lunch Debt Across the U.S.
$ 0 M
Of Your Donation Goes Directly to Kids
0 %
About Us

Your Hosts & Co-Founders

Two Veterans. One Unshakable Commitment.

Natasha Ryan

CW4 Ret., U.S. Army • Blackhawk Pilot • Tillman Scholar
Co-Founder, The Lunch Ladies

A retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 and U.S. Army Blackhawk pilot, Natasha brings two decades of military leadership, mission focus, and service to every challenge she takes on. As a Tillman Scholar and public speaker, she is committed to those who have been overlooked — and to building organizations with the discipline and drive to make lasting change.

Dr. Margaret Webber

A retired Army Major and Lecturer in Security Studies at the University of New Hampshire

A retired Army Major, research scientist, and Assistant Professor at the Army Cyber Institute, Dr. Webber brings intellectual rigor and strategic depth to The Lunch Ladies. As a fellow Tillman Scholar, she shares an unshakable belief that service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off — it simply changes form.

"Lunch should never be a source of embarrassment for a child — and leaders like you can change that."

Natasha Ryan & Dr. Margaret Webber, Co-Founders
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