For one Lewisville man, a simple "thank you" turned into much more of a response than he ever expected. Now, his kind deed is inspiring others.
Two years ago, Frank Vaughan installed a Little Free Pantry in his front yard. The concept is simple - the wooden box is stocked with food for those in need.
"There's a large population of homeless," Vaughan said. "It's a way to get them food."
Kids grab snacks from the neighborhood pantry. It's free of charge.
"I don't know who takes it. That's part of the fun of it," he said. "And occasionally I'll get thank you notes stuffed in."
The concept started with a Little Free Library – a similar setup with the concept of "take a book, leave a book." With the pantry, Frank never expected anyone to leave anything. But lately, he started noticing something each time he'd go out to stock it.
"I came out a few weeks ago and it was full," he said. "Empty one day, and full the next."
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Vaughan went on social media to thank whoever had put the food there. The response to his Facebook post was unexpected. Not only have more folks been stocking his Little Free Pantry, others in town with similar pantries said theirs have also been stocked. And dozens of folks have left messages, asking how they can help.
"I didn't really expect that," he said. "I just wanted to say thank you to the person who fills it up."
It is proof that an act of kindness can be contagious.
"This is a little bitty thing," he said. "And it makes a big difference to a few people."
