Teacher’s Viral Post About Getting Food For Hungry Student Shows How Much Teachers Care For Our Kids

Tennessee teacher Brooke Goins shared a heart-wrenching moment she had with one of her students, and the story struck a chord with thousands of people.

Goins’ student asked her a simple question that instantly brought her to tears.

He asked when the lady who brought food (the guidance counselor) would be back. With tear-filled eyes, Goins asked which food he liked.

Then it happened…he looked at me and said, “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.”

Goins shared in a Facebook post, which has been shared over 40,000 times.

Goins shared that after reaching out to the other teachers at her school. The teachers joined forces and bought food for the little boy, creating a bag for him to take home the next day.

The post showcased the genuine humanity of teachers. This moment had nothing to do with test scores or evaluations, yet the teachers banded together and did what had to be done to ensure a little boy didn’t go home hungry. It brings up a conversation on how much teachers are truly spending on their own classrooms. When a student has a need, the teachers will meet that need, no matter if they have to take on that cost themselves. Teachers are often a constant source of time, energy, and even resources—and they don’t hesitate to hand over those resources willingly.

It’s a crazy rollercoaster of emotions being a teacher,” Goins wrote, “but today it was worth every tear that fell to see him light up when we put that bag in his backpack.”

Via: @Brooke Goins

Others took notice of the selflessness shared in Goins’ post, including her school administration; Goins’ school has now set up a food pantry so that students may take food as needed. While immediate changes were made for Goins’ students, the Facebook post affected students beyond the walls of her school. Those involved in schools across the country took an interest in starting a food pantry for their own students, and many others sent donations to Goins’ Tennessee classroom. 

She shared that she did not expect the outpouring of love but was delighted to know that she helped spread a story with a happy ending, and one that showcased the reality of the teaching profession:

I want people to know that teachers are humans. We love your kids and we want the very best for them. Some days we get frustrated and feel overwhelmed, but today we did what was best for a child.” 

-Brooke Goins, Facebook post

Today, a group of teachers was recognized for their commitment to their students; how many other teachers stopped by Dollar General on the way home today because a student didn’t have enough pencils or a jacket or snack?

At every school, there are teachers picking up a “few extra things” during their family grocery trip. There are teachers making an extra stop with their own kids in tow. There are teachers donating a generous piece of their own small paycheck so that one of their students can have a Christmas gift. There are teachers up past their bedtime worrying about all of their kids and then waking up early to prepare a great school day for them. At every school, there are teachers who care about their students’ performance, but care far more about their kids’ well-being.