All Melanie Small wanted for her three children was pork chops, mashed potatoes and some green beans.
She wanted to sit down with her kids and eat a real meal. Not just a plate of noodles, which some nights is all she can afford, and some nights not even that.
In the two weeks since her story kicked off The Star’s virtual food drive with Harvesters — and a challenge to feed hungry children in the area — Kansas Citians have reached out to help Small, a mom who works three jobs and still struggles to feed her kids.
Not anymore. Her freezer, which two weeks ago held only ice, some bread and beans, is full of meat, and a Cass County sheriff’s sergeant soon will deliver deer steak, burgers and roast. Her once-bare cabinets are stuffed, and her dad just put up shelves in the basement to store more food. Her three children can have cereal every morning now, and Small has enough gift cards to buy food for months.
Kansas City wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.
In a time when families struggle to pay their own bills and worry about their economic futures, readers gave to help others in greater need. And gave. And gave.
The giving ranged from delivering food for Small and other families to stocking food pantry shelves to donating anywhere from $5 to $3,600 to the virtual food drive.
By Friday evening, 1,647 people had given $217,436, more than eight times The Star’s initial goal. It’s the most money any virtual food drive for Harvesters has ever raised — enough to pay for weekend backpacks full of food for a thousand students for an entire school year.
Read the complete story at kansascity.com