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WEST JORDAN — “I woke up late.”
It seemed like a typical comment from a middle school student about waking up too late to eat breakfast. But what the student said next startled his teacher.
“…and I stepped outside of the tent.”
Seventh-grade teacher Krista Gibbons said realizing the student was homeless motivated her to start a food pantry in her West Jordan Middle School classroom.
“My heart stopped,” she said. “That night I went home from work and I bought a bunch of stuff for my classroom, so if the kids needed it, they could have it.”
Gibbons realized hungry kids would need help before they could focus on learning, but she knew she couldn’t do it alone.
Known to her students as “Ms. Gibs”, she planned the “Help Gib’s Kids” concert, with the help of her school and friends. Money raised from food and t-shirt sales, along with other donations, go to stocking the food pantry for “Gib’s kids” and others at the school.
Gibbons is grateful for a community that helps each other.
“A community is a family… and so the community has really come together to show their love and support to the kids.”
Gibbons has also created a GoFundMe account* for those who wish to donate.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
