A Nashville man has gone viral for his incredibly giving spirit, donating hundreds of pizzas weekly to those in need.
Mr. Puckett created the Imgur account 'The Free Pizza Dude' in August 2019 to connect people needing food assistance to willing donors.
"We're not trying to end world hunger we're trying to make people happy. [Those] who would not otherwise be able to afford this kind of food," Mr. Puckett told NewsChannel 5's Hannah McDonald.
The account has since allowed donors to send nearly 4,000 pizzas to those needing food assistance. Mr. Puckett told NewsChannel 5 he was homeless for four years and battled alcoholism before launching his Imgur account.
He said he planned to help others facing similar situations once he got back on his feet, but wanted to break from the usual donations of rice and beans, instead focusing on a food "they could really enjoy and remember for some time because I always did and I always remembered the food people sent me."
'The Free Pizza Dude' account has allowed 'pizza angels' from all over the world to send paid-for pizzas to strangers in need, as well as fulfill more than 100 grocery requests. Mr. Puckett puts out a call for pizza donations each Friday with the appreciation for those that helped him during his struggles.
"I was homeless for so long and so many people from my childhood days helped me. I needed help from every person in my life for so many years so once I finally got stable, and got an apartment and home I knew I had to be that person," Mr. Puckett told NewsChannel 5.
Mr. Puckett was recently honored as a Nashville 'Community Hero of the Week' by Mayor John Cooper, NewsChannel 5 reports.
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