Local Chef Seeks Funds to Feed Families In Need This Christmas

Beyond food, shelter, hygiene, and clothing, all humans have one more need: dignity. And so often the dignity of needy families has been pushed aside while we hand them a can of expired peas and wish them good luck.

I know children especially feel this way. As a sick kid, I was easily bullied, so I developed a mean sense of humor as armor. A particularly tall girl kept aggressively "asking" for my food, to which I said, "Can you quit looking at me like your mom doesn't feed you?" Her face deflated and she left me alone. While I won that moment, I lost a piece of my soul and I'm still so sorry I said it. I know in my heart, her mom didn't or couldn't feed her properly.

So when I read that a local Lubbock chef is seeking funds to feed needy families this Christmas, I couldn't help but feel so happy for that. Dignity can come in the form of a good, thoughtfully planned meal. A meal worth remembering. This memory won't have to be of a Christmas spent poor, it can be a memory of a chef-created meal.

Vance Stevens has set up a GoFundMe for the cost of ingredients, his labor is one of love:

My goal is to be able to provide 50 families with a high quality, fully cooked, ready to heat dinner this Christmas, free of charge. In order to reach that goal, I need the help of each and every one of you in acquiring the ingredients that I will prepare, package, and deliver to those in need.
Whatever you can possibly donate will be immensely helpful, and 100% of your donations will go toward the purchase of ingredients for these dinners. The labor is 100% voluntary, and absolutely no part of these donations will go to "paying me". Anything extra that may be raised will go directly to local non profit organizations such as East Lubbock Art House and Lubbock Impact.

If you would like to help give this gift of dignity, you can donate at the gofundme page.