Our story begins Easter, 2012. When I noticed how much of our wonderful Easter lunch was left, I knew I had to do something. I excused myself from the table and went to the local grocery store to purchase to-go containers. My wife was sick that day and unable to join us so our 5 sons and I loaded 25 meals in the car and headed towards downtown Dallas.
We did not have a plan. We had never done anything like this before. It started to rain but the rain didn't slow us down. When we came upon one gentlemen looking for his dinner in the dumpster, I simply asked, "Brother, can we provide you with a hot meal?" The man looked at us, smiled and then ran away with the hot meal in hand. We continued to drive around and found many individuals needing help. Within an hour, we had distributed all 25 meals. As we drove away, we saw many more that needed help.
When we returned home, the boys had many questions and asked how they could do more to help the homeless. Brooke and I quickly realized that this would be something that would not only be good for our family, but good for the community. We have stayed true to our commitment. No matter the number of volunteers, we go to the streets resolved to make a difference. As our shirts read, "we don't ask why, we just provide."
This initiative means a great deal to Brooke and me after we lost everything a few years ago. If it weren't for some key individuals in our lives, we would have been homeless. We have worked hard to rebound from this; thankfully with God, family and friends on our side, we are now able to give back to the community that has given so much to us. I truly believe everything happens for a reason.