by Adam Ghassemi
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The walls of a high school are filled with secrets that only some students share with their closest friends.
Kendrick Binford has one he hides with a smile.
"Just be positive," he said.
At 15, he hopes his time as a Hunters Lane Warrior will pay off. "I actually want to go to the major leagues in baseball," Binford said.
Despite the pride his mother, Angela Russell-Binford, has a lot weighing on her after losing her job last year and eventually their home.
"I didn't have the funds to keep us where we were," said Russell-Binford. "I tried. I tried."
The family of six was suddenly homeless and had to split up among relatives.
"I didn't see my brothers or my sisters for, I think, three-months," Binford said.
On a small budget, when free-and-reduced lunch only goes so far, Kendrick suddenly started bringing home help.
"I was like, Kendrick, where is all this coming from?," Russell-Binford recalled.
The answer is Jen Davis founder of Packed With Love.
"I just decided to do something about it," Davis said.
Just days into the school year, the pantry tucked in a storage closet may look bare, but it helps 43 families survive, and soon even more. "This fall two extra high schools. In the future all the high schools," Davis went on to say.
Every Friday students receive a confidential package of food to get them through the weekends.
For Binford's family, the help meant stable meals and eventually a new job.
"It really helped me get back on track," Russell-Binford said.
It also gave him the confidence to know his secret isn't something he should let bother him.
"I don't stress. I pray," Binford said.
Tennessee Titans safety Michael Griffin is hosting "Cantina for a Cause" on Monday, September 24th at Cantina Laredo. Tickets are $50. The event starts at 7 p.m. and benefits Packed With Love. For information call (615) 259-9282.
Davis says if you order the "Michael Griffin Special" at participating Papa Johns during football season a portion of the proceeds will also benefit Packed With Love.
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