Brooke Goins is a teacher who is dedicated to providing for her students. And that doesn’t just mean providing a student with the necessary knowledge they need to succeed academically, it also means providing food when they are hungry.
As Goins has clearly shown through her actions, she is both willing and wanting to provide for her kids in any way she possibly can. So when one of her students came to school hungry, she did something about it.
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On October 2, Goins took to Facebook to say she cried at work that day. She explained that it wasn’t because she hated her job, or because her job is “too hard.” But rather she “cried for a child, a child who so innocently talked about food, and the lack of it.”
According to Goins, she was in her classroom on October 2 when one of her students asked her if “the lady that puts food in his backpack was coming” that day. The teacher admitted the question caught her off-guard and told the child that she wasn’t sure if the guidance counselor was going to be around because it was a short week.
So, in an attempt to help the young boy, Goins asked, “what was in the bag that he liked so much.” The student told his teacher, “those little o’s (as he made a small circle with his hand), we don’t have those at my house, but when I do have them they give me a warm belly and help me sleep.”
As Goins wrote on Facebook, the child’s answer made her lose it and she “cried in front of 20 little people. No kid should go hungry, ever.”
“I immediately sent a text to my group, these are the people who are teachers. Remember, hearing people say that we spend all of our money in our classrooms? We spend it to make sure that our kids have what they need to succeed, and today we bought food. Yep, we put our money together and made sure that this sweet baby had some spaghetti o’s!”
Goins admitted she didn’t share her story and her student’s story on social media to earn herself praise or recognition. But she wanted to share it because she wants parents and other students “to know that teachers are humans, we love your kids and want the very best for them. Some days we get frustrated and feel overwhelmed, but today we did what was best for a child. Will it show on a test score? Nope! Do we care? Nope!”
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And when the teacher’s post went viral with over 25,000 shares, Goins added that as a result of the overwhelming outpouring of love, the group of teachers that helped buy groceries for that one student is now starting a food pantry for other children in their school who are also in need of food at home.
She wrote that “students will be able to get food whenever needed! If you would like to help, we are accepting food donations as well as hygiene products!”
You can send those donations to: “ATTN: GOOD PANTRY 164 Jacksboro Elementary School Road, Jacksboro, TN 37757.”
Goins then shared a piece of encouragement to the other teachers out there who are often left wondering if they are truly making a difference. “Teachers, keep your heads up YOU ARE making a difference! We are all exhausted, but we push forward each and every day.”
Amen to that!