Ten Cans of Soup

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Ten Cans of Soup

  • October 7, 2026
  • Posted by: Emilie Flynn
  • Category: Uncategorized
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Josh* was in 3rd grade when I began working as a resource teacher. As I started the position halfway through the year after an extended absence, there were many students who urgently needed support; Josh was one of them. With a goofy sense of humor and an ever-present smile, he was easy to get along with. However, he was struggling academically. At the start of the next year, I sat down with his parents and explained the academic needs that his 3rd grade teacher and I had observed. He wrestled with various concepts, skills, and requirements, which we attributed to his multiple diagnoses. His parents agreed to the modified curriculum I proposed for him, one where he could work on foundational skills at his own pace. 

I saw him thrive that year now that the pace and content of instruction met him where he was at. It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed our time together working one-on-one for math and English. He always had interesting questions to share and wrote goofy sentences during grammar. 

We continued this pattern through the start of 5th grade, and he continued to grow and gain the skills and confidence he needed. In January of his 5th grade year, our church’s food pantry put out a request for cans of soup because they were running low. I told students they could use their coins from my reward store to “buy” cans of soup.  We had done so before at the end of the previous year; in fact, the idea had been prompted by a comment Josh made to me about wanting to help those without food. 

Josh’s eyes lit up when I said the option to donate coins for food was available again. That whole month, Josh diligently saved his coins. On the last Friday in January, he counted his coins one by one, then dumped them all in front of me with a grin. He proudly announced that he had 100 coins – enough for 10 cans of soup. He requested that I buy chicken noodle and chili. I brought the ten cans of soup a few days later and he asked if we could put Bible verses on them. We taped printed verses onto the cans, and he helped me carry them to the donation bin in the church. 

I was so proud of his generous heart that day, but this is not a one-time thing. He is always looking for ways to help and show kindness. His compassionate heart is why I do what I do. Yes, it requires a lot of time and effort for me to meet his academic needs but knowing he’s in an environment where he sees the love of Christ – and gets to live it out – makes it all worthwhile. He is a shining example of how to love others and such a great influence on his peers. It is a blessing to be Josh’s teacher, something worth more than 100 reward store coins, or 10 cans of soup. 

 

*Student’s name changed for privacy.