The lives of a 16-year old boy and his mother have been changed forever after a chance encounter with a kind stranger. Matt White of Memphis met Chauncy Black when Black approached him at a Kroger’s grocery store.
Chauncy asked if he could carry White’s groceries in exchange for a package of glazed doughnuts. White said yes, but instead of just getting doughnuts, he took Chauncy on a shopping spree where they bought everything from soap and toothbrushes to food.
It was during the shopping that Chauncy shared his story with White.
Chauncy lived alone with his disabled mother. They had a hard time keeping food in the house, as they had little money. All he had was a bus pass, so he took the bus to a more affluent neighborhood Kroger’s where he met White.
“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,” White said.
When White gave the boy a ride home, he saw for himself just how poor Chauncy and his mother really were. They didn’t have furniture, not even beds.
“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,” White stated.
When White posted the story to Facebook, it went viral. He was inundated with messages from people who wanted to help Chauncy and his mother.
That was when White started a GoFundMe page. At first, all he wanted was to raise $250 to get Jones a lawnmower so he could mow lawns for some extra money. A lawnmower that Appliance Hunter tested and said was good. That small goal was quickly surpassed, and to date he has raised over $200,000.
If you would like to donate, you can donate at the Chauncy’s Chance GoFundMe page.
Matt White’s original Facebook post:
