Video: An Idea Grows Bigger Than Expected

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Monroe County woman partners with the Smithville High School football team to make big plays in the community this Thanksgiving.

Jennifer Fines wanted to help a few families this holiday season.

Now, with a little help and a football team pitching in to give back, this good deed is running full speed to help those in need.

These stacks of Thanksgiving meals actually started with a text message.

Now, the small gesture of wanting to help others has grown from three families to fourteen.

“The more I thought about it a couple of days later, I made a Facebook post and I was like, ‘hey ya’ll, my mom has came to me with this amazing idea and I want to build on it.’ We can help more than three people, I want to help as many people as we absolutely can,” says Fines.

As the idea and donations grew, Fines’ knew her Toyota Camry could not handle all of this ham and dressing.

That’s how the Smithville High School football team and a school bus come into play.

Fines needed a way to deliver these large boxes and head coach Michael Campbell wants his team to help others this Thanksgiving.

“I’m kind of blown away by how thoughtful they are, how given they are, but that’s something that I want them to understand, it’s more than just football, it’s more than just, you know, just being a teenager, it’s understanding their part in this community, and how they can give back to people that pour so much into them,” says Coach Campbell.

“It’s important to give back to the community first of all, you know at our games, they pack the stands Friday nights for us, so you know, it’s good to do something for them,” says Smithville High School football player, Jacob Johnson.

Fines says there are more families living paycheck to paycheck than many realize.

“When something like a big Thanksgiving dinner, or something like that comes up, people can’t afford that if they’re living paycheck to paycheck. That’s a lot. These meals are $40 dollars each. $40 dollars may be all the gas money somebody has to get from their house to their job every single day you know, to make it for the week,” says Johnson.

“I think this is an eye opener for some because a lot of us do have clothes on our back and food at our table, but you know, if you’re doing something for somebody else, you kind of can get put in their shoes a lot better,” says Johnson.

All of the donations will feed over a dozen families in Monroe County, a full course Thanksgiving meal.

Fines plans to make this an annual event.