Meet Matt
Matt was 30 years old when he encountered the young man outside of his local grocery store in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a college graduate and earned a degree in music business. His go-to grocery store was a chain grocery store Kroger.
Meet Matt
The Encounter
As Matt finished paying for his grocery and exited the Kroger, he noticed a teenage boy walking towards him. The boy was on his own and looked noticeably sad and ashamed. Matt thought that the boy might be looking for directions.
The Encounter
The Boy
However, all of Matt’s theories of what this boy might have wanted was thrown out the window when the boy eventually opened his mouth to speak. That’s when the magic really started, and it put everything in action for both men’s lives to change.
The Boy
Meet Chauncy
The boy that had approached Matt was named Chauncy Jones Black. At the time of this encounter, he was 16 years old and had traveled by bus to reach Matt’s local Kroger, which was known as the ‘rich man’s Kroger.’
Meet Chauncy
What Was He Doing?
Chauncy got to Kroger and was hoping to find someone who would let work for food. He wasn’t just planning to ask for spare change. He asked for Matt’s sympathy as he also needed to catch the last bus home in an hour.
What Was He Doing?
Any Job
It was evident that Chauncy looked incredibly underweight. He also looked hungry, ashamed, and broken. Chauncy had also disclosed to Matt that he would do absolutely anything for something to eat. He offered to carry Matt’s groceries for a box of doughnuts.
Any Job
How Did Matt Respond?
Matt later said that his heart was screaming to help Chauncy, by the remained cool and simply said that he could get him some doughnuts. The boy was noticeably thing, and not in a good way, and Matt felt terribly sorry for him.
How Did Matt Respond?
The Start of Something Life-Changing
Matt felt very sorry for Chauncy and wondered about what he had been through and how he got to this point. It turns out that Chauncy lived with his mom, and they didn’t have much money. All Chauncy really had was a bus pass and the clothes he was wearing.
The Start Of Something Life Changing
In the Kroger
As the man wanted into the grocery store and started moving past the aisles, Matt began asking Chauncy questions and finding out a little about him. After getting some doughnuts, Chauncy had no idea the big surprise that was coming.
In The Kroger
Above and Beyond
Matt got Chauncy a pack of doughnuts, but he didn’t feel that was enough. Chauncy asked Matt for help, and he didn’t feel right just giving him a box of sugary treats. Matt liked that the boy was offering to work for food instead of just begging.
Above And Beyond
A Shopping Spree
After getting the doughnuts, the two strangers continued to walk down the grocery store. Matt led Chauncy down various aisles and loaded their shopping cart with many household staples. The shopping cart had snacks, cereal, toothbrushes, toothpaste, milk, pasta, and many other essentials.
A Shopping Spree
Unbelievable
Chauncy was in complete shock when he saw what Matt was doing. He couldn’t express how grateful he was. Matt was helping the boy out in his time of need, and he was doing it as though it was no big deal.
Unbelievable
More About Chauncy
As the two strangers continued their shopping spree, Matt inquired more into Chauncy’s personal life. He asked how his mother was and what he was doing in school. After spending some time with Chauncy, Matt saw that the boy was very special.
More About Chauncy
What He Was Planning
Chauncy had disclosed to Matt that he gets straight A’s and works very hard in school because his mother has always told him that it’s very important. He went on to say that he was also trying to get a job to help pay the rent.
What He Was Planning
Chauncy’s Identity
Throughout their encounter, Chauncy kept referring to himself as ‘poor.’ Matt soon realized that, even though Chauncy didn’t have a lot of money, he saw that ‘being poor’ formed part of Chauncy’s identity. Despite this, Chauncy was determined to change his circumstances.
Chauncy’s Identity
His Goals
Chauncy disclosed to Matt that he wanted to become a rich entrepreneur. After he makes a fortune, he wanted to give back to other members of the neighborhood. He wanted to do exactly what Matt was doing now and buy groceries for those in need.
His Goals
Time to Go Home
Chauncy thanked Matt after they collected the groceries and made their way to the exit of the Kroger. However, Chauncy’s thanks wasn’t a true reflection of how grateful he was. Chauncy made his way to the bus and believed this to be the end of their interaction.
Time To Go Home
Catching the Bus
Chauncy knew that he needed to get back to his mother soon, or else she was going to get worried. Matt decided that he couldn’t let Chauncy ride the bus back with all of the groceries. That’s when he offered to drive him home.
Catching The Bus
Chauncy’s Living Conditions
Matt’s decision to give Chauncy a ride home left him completely humbled. After arriving at Chauncy’s house, he quickly realized that Chauncy wasn’t exaggerating when he told Matt that he didn’t have any food at home. What did Matt see?
Chauncy’s Living Conditions
Chauncy’s Home
After they arrived at Chauncy’s home, Matt saw that the boy and his mother only had two lamps and absolutely nothing in their fridge. In addition to this, there was something else in Chauncy’s home that was very disturbing to Matt.
Chauncy’s Home
Meeting the Mom
While in Chauncy’s home, Matt met the boy’s mother, named Barbara Black. Matt’s first impression of Barbara was that she was incredibly gracious and kind. He could tell that the mother was genuinely thankful for what Matt had done.
Meeting The Mom
About Barbara Black
After getting to know Barbara, Matt discovered that she had a condition that caused her to shake all of the time. This condition was so bad that Barbara struggled to get around on her own. That’s when Matt realized that there was more he could do to help the family.
About Barbara Black
Matt’s Plan
Before Matt planned to do anything else for the family, he had to help unpack the groceries. Matt could easily see that Chauncy was very happy to be home and have all of these groceries to unpack. This made Matt happy.
Matt’s Plan
Matt’s Contributions
The boy looked a lot more upbeat than he did when Matt first saw him. The Blacks now had a full refrigerator, thanks to Matt. After unpacking the groceries, Matt said goodbye to Chauncy and his mother, but this wasn’t the last time they would meet.
Matt’s Contributions
Not Enough
Matt didn’t believe his groceries to be enough. He wanted to make a real contribution. After leaving their home, Matt struggled to get Barbara and Chauncy out of his mind. After learning what he did, he felt quite upset for the pair.
Not Enough
The Disturbing Truth
Because of Barbra’s condition, she was unable to work. The only money that the Blacks were receiving was from Barbra’s disability checks. Chauncy hadn’t gotten any new clothes in many years. The groceries would also only last a week or so.
The Disturbing Truth
What Matt Really Wanted
After understanding all of the conditions surrounding Barbara and Chauncy’s situation, Matt decided that he wanted to make a real and lasting difference in their lives. What was Matt planning to do to achieve this goal? Continue reading to find out more.
What Matt Really Wanted
Needing Help
Matt knew that he lived a comfortable life. He could afford his own place and purchase groceries. However, he lacked the funds to make a lasting impact in Chauncy’s life. That’s when he realized that he needed help from others.
Needing Help
What Matt Did
Matt decided that he wanted to share his encounter with Barbara and Chauncy on social media. He took to Facebook to share the family’s story. In doing this, he hoped that he could inspire others in the same way that Chauncy had inspired him.
What Matt Did
The Start of Matt’s Plan
Matt’s post gained some noticeable attention. From there, Matt hoped that it would turn into tangible donations for Chauncy and Barbara. In addition to the post, Matt also decided to attach a GoFundMe page to his Facebook post. How did others react?
The Start of Matt’s Plan
GoFundMe
The GoFundMe page featured information about the lives of Barbara and Chauncy, as well as Chauncy’s clothing and shoe size, a video interview with Chauncy’s life story. People were quickly inspired by Chauncy, just like Matt was. That’s when the financial contributions started rolling in.
GoFundMe
What Did They Do with the Money?
The GoFundMe page was quickly generating lots of traffic. The donations were collecting, and Chauncy was grateful and getting incredibly excited with what Matt had done for him and his mother. They began planning what they were going to be doing.
What Did They Do With The Money?
Matt’s Idea
Matt had planned to get enough money to get Chauncy a lawnmower, which could help him earn money cutting lawns for people in the summer. This would also help him have enough money for when he started tenth grade in the fall.
Matt’s Idea
Growing
The money kept coming in as Matt’s Facebook page continued to gather more and more traffic. The story was quickly becoming viral, and the GoFundMe page was quickly exceeding everyone’s expectations, even Matt’s. Total strangers had given Chauncy and his mother anything from dental care, food, clothing, and jobs.
Growing
Why Stop Now?
Matt soon realized that they didn’t just need to plan for purchasing a lawnmower. With all the donations they were receiving, they were able to prepare for a college education for Chauncy or even a new home for the family.
Why Stop Now?
The Outcome
We already know how the Facebook post became viral, but how much money did they actually receive? Well, from the GoFundMe page, Chauncy and his mother received a whopping $340,000. This was a life-changing amount for the mother-son duo.
The Outcome
What Barbara Had to Say
Barbara was ecstatic about the money. She knew that their living conditions weren’t good, and she had tried her best to do what she could. Chauncy had been trying for the past few years to help his mother, and it was something that Barbara couldn’t be more grateful for.
What Barbara Had To Say
Creating a Movement
Without knowing it, Matt had created a movement, which was later called ‘Chauncy’s Chance.’ All of the major news outlets and networks caught wind of what Matt had done, and people started recognizing Chauncy on the street. Matt and Chauncy were being asked for interviews.
Creating A Movement
What Chauncy Had to Say
Chauncy loved the attention he was receiving. He told People magazine that his life had completely changed. He couldn’t go anywhere without people recognizing him, and he said it was awesome. He was incredibly grateful for everything that he had received and thanked Matt for making it happen.
What Chauncy Had To Say
Fame isn’t Always a Good Thing
The fame came with some negatives. Chauncy and his mother knew that they needed to be careful. Their friends and family now knew that they had money and frequently asked for help. They knew that they needed help managing it. However, this didn’t take away from the life-changing opportunity that they were given.
Fame Isn’t Always A Good Thing