Matt White may be a 30-year-old man but his hero comes in the form of a 16-year-old named Chauncy Black. The musician met Chauncy at a supermarket in Memphis when the teen offered to help Matt take his groceries to the car in exchange for donuts. “The look on his face was kind of broken. He looked hungry. I just thought to myself, if I was his age, I don’t think I could go up to someone and ask them for food,” says Matt of the encounter. Instead, Matt bought Chauncy his own groceries and gave him a ride home. It was there that Matt got to see the dire conditions Chauncy and his disabled mother Barbara Martin were living in. The mom and son had been robbed, all they had left was a couch and some lamps. The two slept on mat pads made from sleeping bags. Matt also discovered that the fridge in the kitchen was completely empty. This is when the good samaritan took to Facebook, asking friends and family to give Chauncy a chance for a better life by giving the straight-A student a job.
Matt White’s post on Facebook got people to take notice. The heartbreaking story got a whole community wanting to help Chauncy and his mom out.
Within 11 days of starting the account it has raised over $223,000. “We will have all the funds and resources we need to secure Chauncy and his mom for the rest of their lives,” says Matt.
Clothes, food, and toiletries began pouring in. Before meeting Matt, Chauncy had been wearing the same clothes for three years.
Monetary donations allowed the family to move to a safer neighbourhood.
Chauncy’s mom says she has always covered her face when she smiles.
Now Chauncy and Barbara each have their own phones and a third for a spare.
Now the 5 foot 3 teenager can eat daily the meals his mom makes.
Chauncey wants to be a businessman when he grows up. He hopes to help people in need.
->**Chauncey has been through a lot but he is still a kid who wants to have a normal life.**<-