You know the feeling: sitting at work with your stomach rumbling, only to realize it’s not even close to lunch time, and then counting down the minutes as they drag by. Being hungry sucks, even for a grown adult — and even for just a couple of hours. But being hungry as a kid, especially chronically hungry, doesn’t just suck; it can have a lasting impact. Community School Coordinator and content creator Erin Monroe knows this all too well, and her answer to it leaves us — and a lot of other people — inspired.
“The government trying to cut school lunches bc kids can eat at home,” Monroe captioned a now-viral Instagram video. “Meanwhile my classroom always looks like this.” The camera pans to numerous shelves, baskets, and bins of snacks: bagels and Goldfish crackers, Takis and instant noodles, granola bars and fruit. Beyond that, there are also toiletries and personal hygiene supplies — also things that not every household can readily afford.
In her caption, Monroe was referring to late January, when President Trump issued — and later rescinded — a memo which would freeze spending on federal loans and grants, having a devastating impact on critical things like food stamps and school lunch programs (for starters). Then, to add insult to injury, Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) outrageously defended this decision by saying that kids should just, you know, get jobs.
“Before I was even 13 years old, I was picking berries in the field, before child labor laws that precluded that. I was a paper boy, and when I was in high school, I worked my entire way through,” he said. “You’re telling me that kids who stay at home instead of going to work at Burger King, McDonald’s, during the summer, should stay at home and get their free lunch instead of going to work?”
Not only does Rep. McCormick’s diatribe make zero sense, but it also completely misses the point — not to mention leaves out the huge portion of the approximately 14 million U.S. kids living in food-insecure households who are too young to work. Programs that help low-income families put food on the table are literal lifesavers, but often even those aren’t enough to help all the kids in need — even before cuts. Which is why Monroe makes sure snacks are always accessible, ensuring that no kid who crosses her path leaves hungry.
“During my career I’ve had the privilege of working with community members and families living in food deserts,” Monroe tells SheKnows. “Through these experiences I learned just how essential it is to access food. When I started at my school I knew I wanted to help remove that barrier for kids as much as possible.”
Of course, because the internet is full of Karens who live in bubbles of privilege, Monroe got more than her fair share of criticism on her video: “Junk food, all of it. You are teaching them poor nutrition. Good for you for trying though.”
“Please don’t feed my kids that junk. I do not purchase that stuff at home.”
“Wow! So you’re feeding them highly processed foods and you’re feeling good about it?”
Others couldn’t seem to grasp why these kids’ parents couldn’t just feed them: “Yeah as a teacher I am not doing all of that for my students. They need to have parents who feed them at home.”
“As a parent I actually take care of my children.”
“Parents should be feeding their children.”
Hmmph. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone understood that any food is better than no food, and that not all families are able to feed their kids at home? If any of that is hard to fathom, consider yourself lucky.
Still, Monroe takes the negativity in stride. “I’ve been making content long enough to know that you will always have negative comments on videos that go viral,” she tells us. “They might be looking at the food and thinking it’s not all healthy options. I’m looking at it and thinking: I have options for kids who don’t have a refrigerator, kids that don’t have any way to heat food, making sure cans have pop tops, making sure things can be prepared with minimal extra ingredients or tools. You have to shift your mindset to consider what a family might be going through.”
Monroe says the positive response has far outweighed the criticism, and that the outpouring of support has restored her faith in humanity. Within two days of posting her original video, she woke up to find that every single item on her classroom Amazon wishlist had been purchased.
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Now Monroe wants to extend this impact as far beyond her own community as she can — because there are kids all over the United States who struggle with hunger and food insecurity. She made a follow-up video with suggestions on how to help, and implores anyone able to donate to keep the good going.
“I’m challenging anyone who has the ability to help to find the school closest to them and reach out the the school counselors, social workers, nurses or community school coordinator and ask what they need,” she says. “The school is doing so much more for kids than people may realize. Schools are often the hub and the place kids and families can receive support. You can also support your local food bank or food rescue. You have the power to make a real impact on your community this way.”
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