A teacher who was spending her own cash to buy food for her hungry students has been given thousands of pounds worth of donations after going viral on TikTok.
Ally Coffey had taken to the app to document her shock at the reality of her profession, writing: “When I decided to be a teacher, I didn’t think I would spend my mornings making my kids bags of food because otherwise they would go hungry.”
The 24-year-old could be seen parcelling up various food items into bags for her pupils in the clip, which garnered 1.2 million views.
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The global attention led to a huge number of donations totalling more than $5,000 (£3,797) – allowing Ally and fellow staff members to provide much-needed food to the pupils.
Ally had spent $60 (£46) out of her own pocket at the time of making the now-viral video, which followed news that the US Supreme Court ruled that full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP) could be temporarily halted – allowing the Trump administration to withhold billions of dollars’ worth of funding for food benefits.
The programme is currently used by an estimated 42 million Americans – including many children that Ally works with.
“When SNAP benefits were cut, I knew that a lot of kids in my class would be affected,” Ally, who lives in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, told What’s The Jam.
“I initially bought some ramen noodles, mac and cheese, and oatmeal with my own money to send home with my kids.
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“I knew it wasn’t much, but it was what I could afford and I knew I needed to help in some way.
“When I was making the bags of food, I posted a quick TikTok of me putting them together, because I thought it showed the real and raw side of teaching.
“For me, just because I’m not actively in my classroom doesn’t mean I’m not still thinking about my students.
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“I can’t just turn off the love and guardianship I feel for them.
“I think a lot of teachers feel the same, and it’s so incredibly difficult to send your students home for the day knowing that they may not get another meal until they return to you the next day.”
Overnight, the video “exploded”, reaching people all over the world who asked how they could help.
Ally created a wishlist of food items, winter clothing and classroom essentials, which donors could purchase online, and was floored by the response.
Now, she estimates that the entire school will be able to get through the temporary halting of SNAP
She said: “It was so incredible to see the support for my students and their families.
“Being a teacher today can feel extremely overwhelming and underappreciated.
“We take on so many roles each day and are expected to have all the answers to every little problem.
“The education system is one that is extremely broken, and the ones being hurt by it the most are the kids.
“It can be so draining to feel like the only advocate they have, and no matter how loud you are, it can at times feel like you are talking to the wall.
“This whole experience has shown me that there is still good in the world.
“That there are good people willing to help others out, no matter what their circumstances may be.
“It has been the greatest privilege to be able to send my students home with well-balanced meals not only for them, but for their entire families.
“The kindness has been overwhelming.”
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