Jeremiah Chappelle, a Detroit area man and founder of the grassroots movement Everybody Matters, has been outside, battling the bitter Detroit cold in an effort to make sure all people in need have the food and clothing they require to survive the brutal Michigan winter.
On December 14, TV reporter Jennifer Bisram of Channel 7 Detroit caught Chappelle in the act of providing for one of many Detroit citizens without food or shelter this holiday season and conducted a brief Facebook Live interview.
In the video, Bisram records Chappelle providing McDonald’s, moon pies, and hand warmers to the person in need. When Bisram mentions just how cold it is outside — an “arctic blast” in her words — Chappelle agrees, stating, “It’s deathly cold. And in this weather, a blanket can literally be the difference between someone living and dying, and that’s why we come out here.”
Chappelle goes on to mention that he has been making the rounds, providing for the homeless every single night for 3 and a half years, something made possible by donations of food, clothing, and blankets from people who follow Chappelle’s movement on Facebook.
Of his work, Chappelle states, “These are people. People’s mothers, people’s fathers, people’s brothers, people’s sisters, and they’re out here dying. Last winter, I found nine people frozen to death.”
Having experienced rough patches as a youngster himself, Chappelle is focused on giving back. And that’s exactly what he does, providing food, “hand warmers, hats, gloves, blankets, and a lot of hugs if needed.” Because according to Chappelle, “Everybody matters. That’s why we call ourselves that. Does’t matter your life situation. You matter, and we just want to make sure you make it through the night.”
As a fellow Michigander and Metro Detroiter myself, it warms my soul to know there are people like Jeremiah Chappelle out there, sacrificing their own time and money and venturing out in bitter conditions to help improve the lives of others.
See the full Facebook Live video below, and to learn more about Everybody Matters, a group of volunteers “on a mission to help the homeless in the city of Detroit” who serve up to 300 people in need nightly, follow them on Facebook and be sure to check out their GoFundMe if you have it in your heart to donate to this great cause.