There are many things in our lives we take for granted because they have become part of our daily routine. We're used to having food on our table, a warm bed to sleep in at night, and jobs that keep us afloat and allow us to purchase all the things our privilege allows us to. But there are people among us, everywhere we go, who consider these things to be luxuries they can barely afford.
A man named Matt White realized all of this and more during a chance encounter in a Kroger in Memphis, TN. The 30-year-old was picking produce when a disheveled-looking teen approached him. The teen simply wanted to help load the groceries into the man's car in exchange for a box of glazed donuts.
White recalls when he met the 16-year-old named Chauncy, "He looked ashamed, hungry and broken."
White learned a lot about Chauncy. His mother is disabled and cannot work, so he must support the both of them. Yet, he manages to stay a straight-A student.
Now scroll down to find out how White was able to help the teen — and how you can, too!
"I just met the most inspiring person ever. His name is Chauncy Jones. He's a 16-year-old from Memphis. He had taken the bus at 9:00 at night to get to the 'rich people's Kroger' on Highland, as he called it. He approached me while I was shopping for produce asking if he could help me carry my grocery bags to my car in exchange for buying him a pack of glazed donuts. This kid looked like he had been turned down 100 times. He looked ashamed, hungry, and broken."
"In my heart I screamed a loud 'yes!', but to him, I just chuckled and said, 'yeah dude, we'll get you some donuts'. I asked him if he was by himself and he said that he had come all the way out here with the hopes of someone buying him something to eat because he and his mother had nothing at home. He had no phone, a bus pass, and he was depending on the graces of a stranger to feed him within the hour before the bus left. So, needless to say, he and I went on a shopping spree."
"We had so much fun! We got cereal and chips and frozen veggies, pizzas, Cheetos, melons and pasta, peanut butter, milk, soap, tooth brushes, just a little bit of everything. All the while, we talked and he told me how he makes straight A's in school and is trying to get a job to help his mom pay rent. This kid was amazing. Chauncy kept calling himself poor, but he told me that one day he was gonna be wealthy and own his own businesses so that he could help other people in his neighborhood and buy them groceries like me. I was in awe. I gave him a ride home so that he didn't have to take the bus, and when we got to his house, I was truly humbled. He wasn't kidding."
"He and his mom had nothing. They didn't even have beds or furniture. They were sleeping on pads made out of sleeping bags, they had two lamps and nothing in their fridge. Nothing. His mother was so sweet, but very fragile. I couldn't tell what it was, but she had some sort of physical and/or mental disability that made her shake and made walking difficult. I thought I was going to cry. As we unpacked the food into their kitchen, you could see the hope coming back into Chauncy's eyes. He knew he wasn't going to be hungry. He looked like a kid again. As I was leaving, I gave him a hug and told him how much God loved him and that he was going to grow up to be an incredible man. I'll never forget that hug. It meant more to me than any possession I have. Our God is an awesome God, and we can never be thankful enough for the blessings we have."
"(Edit) I never thought in my wildest dreams that this single post would create such a tidal wave of kindness and encouragement from everyone. So, I decided to create a page for Chauncy and his mom with lists of things they need here: https://www.gofundme.com/293uu9x3
Thank you so so much to everyone who has taken the time to donate, reach out, and overall just show that they care. It means the world."
Please SHARE to help this admirable young man and his mom get back up on their feet!
