The story of Tom and Rachael Sullivan went viral earlier this year when Rachael who works as a flight attendant found out that Tom had a “secret” Instagram account where he posted recipes he cooked for her to help her with hormone regulation after she was diagnosed with POS.
But, the @MealsSheEats account is no longer a secret-now, Tom has more than 70,000 followers with whom he’s sharing a new passion: cooking free meals for college students from the area where they live in North Carolina.
Amazing Family Feeds College Students with Healthy Food for Free
Recently, they welcomed 30 college students into their home and served a meal that comprised of 30 pounds of pulled pork, 38 pounds of smoked chicken, and 15 pounds of smashed potatoes, as well as asparagus and summer squash that they received as donations from a local farm.
The idea to feed college students began with one person: Kevin Gallagher or the college kid Kevin on Tom’s Instagram and Rachael’s TikTok.
According to Rachael, in college, she was “adopted” by friends of the family. They welcomed her for dinners and holidays during her college years and this experience was the reason behind the reconnection with Gallagher later on in life.
Racheal said how she got to make a lot of friends and neighbors through that. When she moved to North Carolina last year, she discovered that one of those neighbors’ sons was going to NC State.
This kid was College Kid Kevin.
According to Tom, he recognized Gallagher when running errands one day in town. He approached him to introduce himself and the two struck up a friendship. They bonded over workout and nutrition talks.
One night, when Tom had made too much food for dinner, he asked Gallagher if he wants a free meal. Soon enough, he would text him every time he cooks. The boy would come and take it and each time he would stay a bit longer.
By the end of the day, they learned more about his classes and college life.
Roommates of Gallagher also come for Meals
Gallagher began to bring his roommates to the Sullivans for meals. When Racheal shared their unlikely friendship on social media, more youngsters wanted to join in.
One day, the Sullivans wrote that they’re hosting a dinner and that the interested ones can send them a DM if they live in their area and want to come.
Because Sullivans’ followers wanted to help, they launched a GoFundMe page and their supporters have actually donated more than $2500 to cover their grocery costs.
More than a Hundred College Students Signed Up for a Meal at the Sullivans’
The Sullivans today have more than 120 college students in the Raleigh area who’re signed up for a text or an email whenever the family is hosting a meal. This is happening around two to three times per month.
Racheal says every child is here for a different reason and it’s a cool thing to see. Some aren’t just there for the free meal, but often to pause from the stressful college life and to be part of a new environment.
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