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Daisy Hampton's GoFundMe campaign: NYC girl, 12, donates 200 laptops to students amid Covid-19 school closures

Daisy has collected donations and contributions from friends, family, and a GoFundMe page, as well as funds from selling merchandise through her nonprofit

When Covid-19 forced schools in New York City to shut down last year, one girl used her kindness to help students without computers, as she created a fundraiser in order to provide laptops to the students who cannot afford them.

Hampton started a nonprofit organization named "Including You" earlier this year as a peer-to-peer mentorship plan that aims to connect kids with disabilities or face economic disparities over the internet. The organization is connecting kids with more than just each other; Daisy has provided 200 laptops to kids in need since the Covid-19 pandemic forced a shift to online learning.

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"In my past school, I saw kids that had disabilities were being made fun of, and kids facing economic disparities were missing out on a lot, especially during remote learning," Daisy told Fox News. "When that started, I saw that kids who didn't have access to the internet weren't able to attend school, and they were missing out on so much of their education, and the schools weren't really doing as much as they could have to get computers out to kids."

Daisy's mother said that her old school was great but some students were facing issues in online classes because they didn't had a laptop. The 12-year-old noticed even before the pandemic that some students used school libraries and labs to finish their homework as they lacked internet service or devices at their homes. Daisy, who was a member of the girls scout, won a cash reward for her leadership there, she used her money to buy a laptop for a girl who needed one because she was missing months of classes due to the fact that she had no computer. "With that Girl Scout money, I purchased the computer and we met up with her in front of her building, and I handed her the laptop. We took pictures. We talked. And I could see that both her and her mom were very, very grateful and filled with joy," Daisy said. She then gave another laptop to a girl in high school who was sharing her father's phone to do the work. Her father used to leave his phone at home while at work, so that she and her brother could attend the classes.

Since then, Daisy has collected donations and contributions from friends, family, and a GoFundMe page, as well as funds from selling merchandise through her nonprofit, to give away about 200 laptops in total so far. According to her GoFundMe page: "Through Including You, kids who volunteer to be mentors are paired up with younger kids who experience disparities because of learning, developmental or physical disabilities, or economic disparities. We can laugh and learn together."

She further said: "But there was still the issue of digital inclusion. Through friends and family and selling Including You merchandise, I had given 45 laptops and hotspots to mentees in rural Mississippi to facilitate a partnership with a nonprofit there. But then I realized how much was needed close to home. I read an article in the local paper about 9-year-old Kimani, a Bronx girl whose mother was being threatened with Children’s Services because her daughter lacked a computer and was missing remote classes. I had just won money through a Girl Scout award, so I used that to buy a laptop for Kimani. When I delivered it, she told me how hard it had been for her to miss out on so much school because her school never replaced the broken tablet they provided. I was so glad I could help her."

She also said: "At the start of school in October 2020, 77,000 kids in NYC public schools lacked the devices they needed for remote learning. These kids were knocking on their virtual classroom door, and no one was letting them in. I had to try to help. And so, I set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to buy devices for NYC kids who needed them for remote learning. I was touched by the outpouring of support, with people I never met giving $5, $10 and even in one instance $1000! The money from GoFundMe donors and others has helped us get devices to nearly 200 students!"

Her GoFundMe page has raised $15,456 of the $20,000 goal.