A Florida mom decided to take action after learning several of her daughter’s classmates were going without snacks at school.
Monet Finnigan’s 8-year-old daughter Charlotte had just come home from Mandarin Oaks Elementary School in Jacksonville when her mom made a shocking discovery. “My daughter came home from school one day saying that there were children who never brought snacks,” Finnigan told Newsweek. “That broke my heart.”
Finnigan knew these parents were no doubt doing their best to make ends meet but were still struggling to provide for them.
In truth, though, that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problem of feeding children at school who come from low-income backgrounds. The Educative Data Initiative estimates 30.4 million students can’t afford their school meals.
However, while a lack of snacks may have been a small part of a much wider problem, Finnigan was determined to do something about it. “I just wanted to help a little,” she said. “I don’t want any child to go hungry in my presence. It’s important that all kids are provided an equal opportunity in all aspects while at school.”
So Finnigan spent around $350 filling a cart with snacks and juices for Charlotte’s classmates to enjoy.
From left: Monet Finnigan’s daughter Charlotte brings a trolley of snacks to school. The mom was eager to provide treats for those kids who have had to go without.
incognitospeed0
She also spoke to Charlotte’s elementary school teacher to find out what she might need. “Her teacher asked for sharper pencils and crayons for the kids, so I got a ton,” Finnigan said. “Teachers aren’t getting paid enough to provide school supplies or even survive here in Florida. They are overworked and underpaid so if I can help out in any way, I will.”
The National Education Association (NEA) says teachers in Florida earn among the lowest average salaries for educators in any state in the U.S.
The report, which includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia, shows that only West Virginia, with an average teacher salary of $52,870, ranks lower than the Sunshine State. The NEA adds that the average teacher salary in Florida is $53,098.
To put that figure in some perspective, the report estimates Florida’s minimum living wage to be in the region of $58,970. By contrast, the average teacher in California earns a salary of $95,160.
Finnigan said her daughter’s teacher was most appreciative and that the supplies were being shared among two classes. “The students were really happy; they all wrote their names on a thank you card. It was so sweet, it made me cry,” she said.
Finnigan’s gesture came to light after she posted a video to TikTok under the handle @incognitospeed0 showing Charlotte taking a cart full of the newly purchased supplies into her school.
Finnigan said she shared the video online in the hope it would “inspire other parents to do the same for their children’s classes.”
“Most parents have a little extra pocket change to spare every month,” she added. “What all parents should be doing is asking their children’s teacher and their child if there is anything that their classroom or child needs. It’s sad because, every time I ask, there’s always a need.”
