McMillan Elementary 4th grade teacher Meghan Fe'iloaki has spent over 20 years in education, including time spent teaching in Tonga. This experience shaped her perspective on community and led her to organize aid shipments for families in the Pacific.
Fe'iloaki began organizing clothing drives to ship items directly to Tonga after observing students struggling with basic necessities like school supplies and clothing. She and her husband have continued these efforts for years, including providing aid following a Category 5 hurricane in 2020 and a volcanic eruption and tsunami in 2022. To facilitate these shipments, Fe'iloaki packs a 4' x 4' wooden crate with supplies and ships it by boat via California. Once the crate clears customs in Tonga, her husband's family distributes the items to neighbors and surrounding islands.
The tradition of sharing is a core value for Fe'iloaki's family. She noted that while she once thought supplies would go to the local school her children attended, her husband's family instead distributed most of the backpacks to the outer islands where families face greater struggles. Fe'iloaki stated that the Tongan attitude involves sharing what one has so that everyone is taken care of, noting that neighbors often share back in turn.
In her professional role within the Murray City School District, Fe'iloaki collaborates with teaching partner Emma Quilter on math and literacy routines. She expressed appreciation for the professional support in the district, stating that the ability to access specific training and expertise helps improve student achievement.
Fe'iloaki collects donations over time to offset the high cost of freight shipping to remote islands. She is available to collect and store donations of extra backpacks, pens, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, and scissors for future shipments.
