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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cGetting people to trust this is legit was probably the toughest thing. Everything that\u2019s donated goes straight to the schools. Nobody\u2019s being paid out of this for doing it. No money comes out of the account unless it\u2019s rolled to a school,\u201d Blackwell said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But as word has spread, the community\u2019s support is growing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe community is what makes it happen. They\u2019ve been outstanding. Palatec and their employees jumped in and gave us a hand, and Voodoo Customs started helping us. They\u2019re actually now doing fundraisers at car shows to [raise money]. Carter\u2019s Towing usually helps with everything I do,\u201d Blackwell explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His motivation isn\u2019t from a personal experience with hunger but an overall desire to make a difference in children\u2019s lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blackwell said, \u201cIt\u2019s just something I\u2019ve always wanted to do. I hate seeing any kid go without, or anybody in general. I just want to make sure there\u2019s somebody out there watching out for them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He watches out for our community in other ways, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blackwell, an employee of NASA in Huntsville, owns Blackwell Towing. The towing company sponsors free skate nights for local kids at Star Wheels, pet adoptions from the local humane society, and the Kids Fishing Rodeo. The company provided funding for the Lincoln County High School boys soccer team to reseed the field and purchase uniforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year\u2019s trunk-or-treat event was such a success that the company repeated the event this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think our biggest thing is our location. It\u2019s easy to get in and out. Several people called after I posted it on Facebook last year and said, \u2018Hey, do you care if I come set up there?\u2019 You worry [with new events] if this thing is going to fly, then I think we had four or five people who ended up setting up on their own, and it was a pretty big deal. We were packed for about two hours straight.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to supporting local youth, Blackwell looks out for all of his neighbors. One way he does this is by offering free transportation on New Year\u2019s Eve to prevent drunk driving. Another is to assist at no charge during extreme winter weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blackwell credits the community for the success of all his endeavors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey support anything we\u2019ve ever done. They\u2019ve been awesome,\u201d he stated. \u201cAnything that we do, they\u2019re right there. I don\u2019t think you can find a better community.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blackwell\u2019s various initiatives demonstrate the profound impact one person can have when addressing community needs, from ensuring local students have a standard lunch to ensuring safe roads on holidays. The growing support from local businesses and residents alike turns individual acts of kindness into a community-wide movement of caring and support. It\u2019s a powerful reminder that the strength of a community lies not just in the actions of one but in the collective response of many. GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cI’m hungry\u201d echoes in homes everywhere, often before backpacks even hit the floor and students kick off their school shoes. It\u2019s a refrain as common as the afternoon sun, often met with the rustle of snack bags or the hum of microwaves. But in some households, that simple declaration hangs in the air, unanswered. Some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":23524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/1-4-1024x683.png\")
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