There’s something incredible about a person who sees a problem and devotes her life to solving it. Willa Johnson, a 59-year-old grandmother from Fort Worth, Texas, is one of those people.
After working in food services for the state of Texas for ten years, Willa noticed an alarming trend in small, impoverished towns like Athens, Texas: while children were fed nutritious meals during the school year, during the summer months, they often went hungry. Willa wasn’t about to sit by and let that happen.
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The resourceful lady decided to make a leap of faith that would wind up benefiting hundreds of hungry kids in Texas. She quit her job and started her own catering company, which she calls “The Soul Kitchen” because she puts her heart and soul into each bite. “I cook with a lot of sugar, butter, and love! But when you’re cooking from your heart, that makes it even better,” Willa said.
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Incredibly, Willa takes whatever income she earns from her catering business and uses it to make meals for kids in the small town of Athens, Texas.
The fact that Willa chooses to use her money to feed kids is not even the most amazing thing about this story. In order to feed those hundreds of kids in Athens, Willa leaves her home every weekday morning at 1 AM and drives over 100 miles to Athens. Then, in the wee hours of the morning, Willa and her daughter work in the kitchen to prepare hundreds of three course meals.
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The rest of the day is spent delivering these home cooked southern meals to kids who would ordinarily have nothing to eat. Feeding these children isn’t cheap, and Willa has used up all of her savings in order to continue giving back in this manner.
“God put people on earth for certain reasons, and I think this is my calling.”
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While the communities she feeds see her as a living angel, Willa says feeding others nourishes her soul and she wouldn’t dream of stopping. “If a kid is hungry, and they need to eat, I’m gonna feed them,” she says simply.
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In an average day, Willa feeds about 300 people. The children she feeds tell her that she inspires them to do more for others — many have said they want to grow up and help their community, just like Miss Willa does.
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Willa is a true example of what it means to give selflessly for others. The world truly needs more people like her!
Watch the video below and be sure to share this story of incredible generosity and love!
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