Cooking and mealtime are important parts of the Kirkpatrick family's day. So when Ryan had a conversation with his mom about kids who couldn't afford school lunches, he decided to do something about it.
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He asked his mom to find out how much fellow third-graders at West Park Elementary School owed.
Kylie Kirkpatrick said, "It was I think $74.50. So I took that email and came to Ryan and said, 'What do you want to do,' and he said, 'I guess I can pay for it.' I said, 'are you sure?' And he said, 'yes.'"
He used his allowance money, which he would normally use to buy sports gear, and gave it all to the school.
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Depending on income levels, elementary school meals range in price from 30 cents to $3.25 each.
Still district policy says, "Students with a negative lunch account will still receive a hot meal."
At the time, Ryan paid for it anonymously.
He said, "I want them to realize people actually think about them because you're not just bragging about stuff. I want them to feel happy someone cares about them."
UPDATE: With help from Ryan, Governor Newsom signed a bill banning "lunch shaming." Take a look at the full story here.