Giving Compass' Take:

• Global Citizens touches on the importance of school funding and the struggles of low-income schools through this inspiring story of giving: a stranger handing cash to a teacher who had trouble affording supplies for her students.

• What can individual donors do to help in these situations? How do budget shortages affect learning?

• Read more about struggling low-income schools.

When Kimber Bermudez boarded a Southwest Airlines flight to visit her parents on July 10, she never expected to leave that plane with $530 more in her wallet, according to Bermudez’s Facebook post. The generous gesture came directly out of a conversation she was having with the stranger sitting next to her.

She had told him about her profession as an elementary school teacher and how hard it is to teach in low-income neighborhoods. Her students often come to school hungry, or without school supplies and other essentials. Faculty members at her charter school, Carlos Fuentes Elementary in Chicago, regularly use their own money to help buy their students whatever they need.

While Bermudez was talking about her difficulties, she didn’t realize the man next her worked at a company that donates to schools in need. He ended up taking down the school’s information.

Then, the man sitting behind her reached out and tapped her on the shoulder, according to Bermudez’s story on Facebook. When she turned around, he apologized for eavesdropping on their conversation and handed Bermudez five $100 bills. He said, “Do something amazing.”

Read the full article about supporting low-income students by Dana Brandes-Simon at Global Citizen.