True Stories of Good People GoFundMe

When Joseph Gutierrez moved to Nashville in 2017, he started to ask himself some honest questions about his new city. He wasn’t sure what the city meant to him, and vice versa. To explore these questions further, he started to have conversations with other local folks from the Asian and Pacific Islander community, and realized there was an existing lack of awareness and understanding about their cultures and identities. In response to the rising anti-AAPI hate crimes following the pandemic, Joseph and his community felt compelled to do something to help—and they believed the power of stories had the opportunity to make a big difference.

While in a refugee camp as a child, Chef Alex Hanesakda watched his father cook meals for friends, family, and even strangers. It was in those moments when he learned how food could break down barriers and bring communities together. Now, years later, Alex has started his own restaurant that honors the refugee experience, gives back to the community—and most importantly, brings people together.

In communities that lack access to fresh food, healthy eating options are limited. To Chloe Moore, the solution runs just as deep as the roots of the problem. She works at Southside Community Farm, a small urban food space that provides access to fresh produce to those living in Asheville’s historically Black Southside neighborhood. And with plans to create more services that bring healthy food access to more people, Chloe also aims to change the narrative around agriculture in Black communities.

Taylor McCowan always knew that confidence is key, but one day while she was volunteering in her community, that phrase took on a new meaning. Taylor identified a surprising need in her local unhoused community—a lack of access to menstrual products, something that affects millions of people worldwide. In response, she decided to start a community service project in hopes of giving people much more than just confidence.

Not many kids get exactly what they want for their birthday for ten years in a row. But since Kai Martin was five years old, that’s exactly what’s happened. However, he never asks for what a typical kid his age might ask for; all he wants for his birthday, year after year, is for people to donate to a cause that has had a significant impact his family.

US Navy Veteran Kenny Jary – or “Patriotic Kenny” as he’s come to be called in his community – knows what it’s like to rely on a mobility scooter for even the most simple of freedoms. So when his own scooter broke down, his friend Amanda Kline started a GoFundMe to help raise funds for a new one. After receiving more help than they expected, Kenny realized he wanted to pay it forward. Using Kenny’s sizable TikTok following, the two set out to help other veterans and were blown away by what happened next.