Around 9:30 p.m., I answered a silent 911 call that led me to a small house. There, I found a barefoot boy named Mateo holding a phone. He told me he and his younger sister hadn’t eaten all day. Their mom, who worked several jobs, had been gone since morning. The house was tidy but had almost no food.
I asked for help, not police. Soon, a paramedic named Rosa came with sandwiches and kindness. Mateo, who was only eight, made sure his sister Sofia ate before he did. We stayed with them until we found their mom, who was working at a diner and didn’t know she had left her phone at home. We told social services what happened and gave their mom information about local support programs.
Two weeks later, Rosa came back to the station with cookies and an idea. She started “Midnight Meals,” a group of volunteers who brought food packages to families in need every Friday.
In a few months, it grew into a city-wide effort, with help from teachers, store owners, and teens.
One evening in December, we visited Mateo’s house again—this time it was warm, decorated, and full of thanks. The change was amazing. When Mateo hugged Rosa and got a backpack full of supplies, he quietly said thank you, reminding us that even small acts of kindness can bring big hope.