A Pittsburgh man who went viral for starting a food pantry amid SNAP benefit cuts has received an envelope full of cash anonymously. AJ Owen went viral for setting up a food pantry in his own front yard. The idea came to him during a grocery run with his two young sons on October 26, Sunday.
“I try to keep my kids updated on what’s happening in the world, but they’re helpers. They’ve always been helpers,” Owen explained to People magazine. “I told them about SNAP potentially going away, and they said, ‘How can we help people?’ And this was the answer.”
(Also read: People in some states get SNAP food aid while others still wait for their November benefits)
Pittsburgh dad starts food pantry
The family started a small food pantry in their front lawn, stocking it with snacks and nonperishable items.
“We literally started with one tote that we had and two hand coolers out of the garage,” Owen told People. ““We took Christmas lights out, scribbled it off the side with Sharpie, cleaned everything out — and we put out literally one single tote, two hand coolers. You don’t need a permanent building to get something to go, just a tote and two coolers, and look where it can get you.”
On October 26, Owen shared a TikTok video showing the food pantry set up in his front yard.
A gift of cash and trust
{{/usCountry}}On October 26, Owen shared a TikTok video showing the food pantry set up in his front yard.
A gift of cash and trust
{{/usCountry}}In a subsequent video, he revealed that he had received an envelope full of thousands of dollars and a message, “May God prosper and bless your food pantry.”
“I took the envelope in, it felt thick. I thought maybe there’s some gift cards in there,” Owen recalled. “I opened it up and just — hundred-dollar bills, a stack of hundred-dollar bills. I truly didn’t know how to react. I froze. I started shaking and I started crying.”
The video has garnered over 18 million views, inspiring others to start similar initiatives.
In fact, Owen’s own neighbours have joined the movement. While he himself has kept the pantry stocked with food items, diapers and baby formula, neighbours and even strangers have been dropping off groceries and home-cooked meals.
“Every day continues to evolve in a great way,” Owen said. “Every challenge that comes up, we just tackle head-on and keep feeding people.”