RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Chesterfield County teen, Austin Smoyer, has been making a difference in his community one can of food at a time. Every year, the now-15-year-old sophomore at James River High School leads a holiday food drive, collecting non-perishable items for Feed More.
Friday, Dec. 20, marked Smoyer’s 13th annual holiday food drive. What started as a simple act of kindness when he was just three years old has blossomed into an annual family tradition, collecting thousands of pounds of food for those in need.
“It just makes me feel great just knowing that I’m making a difference in the community, knowing that, like, I can help people out who don’t have access to food or just can’t get their hands on food in any way,” Smoyer said. “I just know that I’m helping them out, giving them a meal.”
The idea for the food drive came from his mother, Ashley Smoyer, who wanted to instill in him the importance of giving back.
“I was like, ‘What better way to do that than through food?’” she said.