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Awesome Fifth Grader Donates Entire $300 Life Savings To Stop Teacher Layoffs

Fifth grader Jocelyn Lam was sick of seeing her teachers getting let go.

One day after school, she went home and cracked open her pig-shaped piggy bank.

She returned to her school, Camino Grove Elementary School in California’s Arcadia Unified School District, with more than just a backpack and some books.

Lam carried with her an envelope full of $1, $5, and $10 bills. This was her entire life savings: money she had earned over the past few years for getting good grades and doing chores.

In the thick money envelope, she enclosed a hand-written letter to the Arcadia Unified school board and superintendent:

“I really hope this $300 will help save the teachers that are about to be laid off. I also hope this is enough to save more than one teacher.”

Lam’s donation of her life savings inspired an entire community to raise a total of $20,000 toward saving teaching jobs. And as of this writing, the movement has gone district-wide.

In the meantime, Lam is back at home doing more chores. Teacher jobs are at stake, and this fifth grader feels compelled to do something about it.

Submitted by volunteer editor Angie A. Originally found on GOOD Magazine.