(Local) A crowdfunding campaign has raised €60,000 to help pay for school lunches for pupils in the northern Italian city of Lodi, where the mayor recently moved to make it difficult for the children of foreign parents to qualify for subsidised meals.
More than 2,000 people donated to the fundraiser, which was born after the mayor of Lodi introduced a resolution last month requiring parents from outside the EU to provide proof of their assets both in Italy and in their home countries.
Those who do not are automatically charged the highest rate for meals in the school canteen, around €5 per meal rather than the lower subsidised rate that is standard for Italian children — and kids who opt to take a packed lunch instead are obliged to eat separately from the rest of their classmates.
