When I started Snacks for Kids in January, I honestly had no idea what to expect.

I remember thinking that if we could provide snacks to five schools this year, that would be amazing. Five schools. That was the goal. Now it’s September, we’ve made 14 deliveries, and we have five more scheduled for October.

I still have moments where I can’t quite believe it.

But what has meant the most to me isn’t really the number of deliveries. It’s the people who have made them possible.

I knew my friends and family would support this crazy idea of mine. What I never expected was how many people outside of that circle would immediately want to help too. Local businesses, companies, community organizations, parents, neighbors—people I knew and people I had never met.

I can’t say enough about Dogwood Moving Co. When we have a large delivery, they donate a truck and send a team to help us—all completely free. And their team is incredible. They show up ready to work, they’re kind, they care, and you can tell this isn’t just another delivery to them. They genuinely want to help their community. (And seriously, if you need movers, call them!)

We also have an amazing local snack company that has quietly stepped up whenever we’ve needed help. Their team is some of the kindest, most caring people I’ve met through this work. When I reach out, they never hesitate. They just want to know what our schools need and how they can help.

And that seems to happen everywhere I go.

I’ll talk about Snacks for Kids at an event or even at a party, and someone will immediately say, “I want to help?” Or, “Have you tried this?” Or, “Who can I connect you with?”

That part gets me every time.

There is a lot going on in the world right now, and sometimes it can feel like the bad or divisive things are the loudest. But this little nonprofit has given me a front-row seat to something very different.

People care.

They really do.

They care about kids they may never meet. They care about teachers who are quietly buying snacks with their own money. They care about families who might be having a hard time. And when you give people a simple way to help, so many of them say yes.

I hope that warms your heart a little, because it certainly warms mine.

Of course, I have big dreams for Snacks for Kids. I’d love to eventually expand into other counties in North Carolina and maybe even beyond. We’ve already had people reach out from across the country asking for help, which is both incredibly exciting and a little overwhelming!

But I’m also reminding myself that it’s okay for growth to take time.

So I’m going to keep dreaming big while focusing on the work right in front of us. I’m going to keep working alongside our incredible board, keep finding ways to get more snacks into schools, keep building partnerships, and keep learning as we go.

And I’m going to try to stop every once in a while and appreciate what has already happened.

Because nine months ago, I was hoping we could help five schools.

Today, I’m looking around at all of the people who have decided to be part of this with us, and I mostly just feel grateful.

Snacks for Kids may have started with one small idea, but our community is what has made it grow. And I can’t wait to see where we go from here.