Latest news with #Bounds
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Queer Joy Alert: Gay TikTok star rallies his followers to feed the hungry
Queer joy is a radical act, so join us each week for more stories that uplift, resist, and shine. For more stories on Queer Joy, click here. Facing empty shelves and worrying about how they were going to feed their community, a Tennessee food pantry was shocked when they found themselves flooded with donations from an unexpected source: TikTok. A week ago, Knox Pride, a LGBTQ+ nonprofit resource center, put out a call on Instagram for donations because their food pantry was 'almost empty' with no way to fill it after their funding was slashed. Luckily, one queer TikTok star saw the post and jumped into action. Social media can feel like a vapid, superficial way to spend your time, but sometimes these apps that have taken over our lives are used to make real positive change in the world. That's true for Matthew Bounds, who is changing lives with his TikTok channel, one charity at a time. Better known as 'Your Barefoot Neighbor,' the 42-year-old gay social media influencer creates simple, easy comfort food recipes for his 1.8 million followers, but on top of his cozy meals, Bound has managed to galvanize his fans, over and over again, to donate to local charities. While killing time waiting in line by scrolling on his phone, Bounds saw Knox Pride's plea for donations and knew he had to act fast. 'I knew they had lost their funding. I knew things were tight for them. I had seen their updates on that, but that post right there just really hit me,' he told PRIDE. Bounds rushed home and recorded a quick TikTok asking his followers to help him fulfill their Amazon Wishlist and stock their pantry shelves, after he had donated a handful of things himself. 'History has shown that the Barefoot Neighborhood does not play when it comes to stuff like this, and ya'll go crazy hard, crazy fast,' Bounds said in the video. #barefootneighborhood Asking his followers — he has approximately 3.5 million across all platforms — to help out nonprofit organizations in desperate need of donations is nothing new, but normally, Bounds carefully plans out any fundraisers he does so when the TikTok video asking for help for Knox Pride didn't get as many views as he was hoping, he worried that very few people would order anything off of the nonprofit's Wishlist. But the next morning, he woke up to a message from Knox Pride's executive director, John Camp, with photos of the trucks full of Amazon packages streaming in. This allowed them to fully stock their food pantry within 24 hours of the video going live. 'They've never let me down,' Bound said of his followers. 'They love a good call, they love to rally and help people. So, I didn't have any doubt that they would come through, I think I was surprised at how big they came through.' Donations continued to flood in over the next week, and soon, Knox Pride had enough food to stock the pantry multiple times over. The fundraiser was so successful that they also received so many monetary donations that they were able to pay their rent through July, and volunteers started showing up in person. They even got enough truckloads of food delivered that Knox Pride was able to reach out to other local resource centers and help them stock their food pantries as well. 'It's a 180 at the center,' Bounds said. 'Not only was it the tangible physical donations, but you know, just a lot of people who may have kind of forgotten they were there or I even got comments from people who live in Knoxville and said they were unaware of Knox Pride and then they saw my video, so now they are donating and they're showing up to volunteer.' An update for the #barefootneighborhood ❤️ Knox Pride provides food to between 75 and 100 people every day at their food pantry so having empty shelves would have been devastating to the community. After the donations started streaming in, Bound began getting DMs from people who were grateful he had stepped up. 'I had someone DM me and he said he's a 55-year-old gay man who's unhoused and the day I posted that video, he had gone there earlier that day and said they fed him with literally some of the last things on the shelves,' Bounds recalled. 'He said, 'I laid down last night and I didn't know where my next meal was going to be coming from because they were out.' And he said, 'I woke up this morning and saw the video and the updates and everything. I'm going to eat today because of your followers,' which was really incredible.' Bounds, who has published one cookbook and has a second one on the way in 2026, has made a name for himself by making easily accessible, comforting southern classics, but he has also built community outreach and fundraising into his platform since the very beginning. In fact, earlier this month, Bounds, who is a Gulfport, Mississippi native, rallied his followers to support a food drive for Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, and was able to completely stock the shelves of their food pantry in less than two weeks. 'My being gay, and then a lot of my audience is part of the LGBTQIA community, and allies and things like that. I think there's almost the spirit of we're here, we're queer, we'll handle it. I think that really rallies us a lot, too. You know, so many people just love to be a part of an inclusive, diverse community that is so committed to helping folks.' The 'vibe' of the community Bounds has created is one that loves good food and is devoted to helping their community, but he thinks people need the positivity in their lives more now than ever before. 'There's so much negativity and awful news, and I don't know about you, but I feel really hopeless a lot of days,' Bound admitted. 'I think there's so many people that just want a little win, and if I can say, 'Hey, here's an Amazon Wishlist, order something off of it, we'll feed someone today,' that's a way for someone to chip in and make the world a little bit better and have a little control over it for a minute. We're not victims of it, we're contributing to some sort of solution."
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donations pour in to Knoxville food pantry after TikTok star's call to action
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Local nonprofit Knox Pride posted on social media Wednesday that their Community and Resource Center's food pantry was practically empty. With no access to funding and Second Harvests funding being cut, the organization was at a loss for what to do. 'We have always been very transparent here with the community and we were out of just about everything. We needed help real bad,' said James Owens, a manager of Knox Pride's Community Closet. New memorial park open in Knoxville overlooking East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery Until one influencer from Mississippi decided to lend a hand and give the organization a lifeline. A TikTok star by the name of Matthew Bounds, known as 'Your Barefoot Neighbor', is a longtime follower of Knox Pride and knew he had to step in. He reposted the organizations call for help in a video where he challenged his followers to provide for the organization and they did that, and than some. 'Usually if I do stuff like this, I reach out to the organization first. There's a lot of planning that goes into it. But something told me, just hurry up and get that video made and let's get it out there for everyone. In America in 2025, there shouldn't be a kid that's going to bed hungry,' Bounds told 6 News. The response was overwhelming. So many packages poured in that Knox Pride is having to utilize extra storage space and rent a larger vehicle to keep up with donations. 'Something like this is great because we don't have to limit them. We don't have to say, 'here's one bag for your family of six. That's all we have for you right now.' This is going to help a lot of people for sure, ' Owens said. Ribbon cut on new 264-home neighborhood in North Knoxville Bound's video didn't solely inspire food donations, Knox Pride raised enough money to cover two months of rent for the pride center. From just one video, they are now better equipped to continue serving Knoxville. 'I knew that they did a lot of community work. I did not realize until I posted that video just what a big part of the community they are,' Bounds said. 'I've had so many people sending me messages and telling me that they fed them when they needed it.' 'I just want to say thank you to him. He is literally an angel. I don't know how he would have gotten through the next few months without him,' Owens added. Knox Pride shares they have received around 5,000 packages on Friday alone. Bounds told 6 News that he hopes that people realize you don't have to have a platform to make a difference and help where it really matters. ▶ See more top stories on Knox Pride is always looking for volunteers if anyone is interested in helping especially recently with the abundance of food, the organization needs hands getting this food out of packages and on those shelves. The pantry is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
St. Louis couple sued for staging U-Haul accident to claim insurance
ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis couple is being sued by the U-Haul Company for staging an accident in order to claim insurance money. According to the lawsuit, Khadijah Bounds and Erion Johnson allegedly staged the accident and claimed they did not know each other despite later acknowledging they were in a relationship. The lawsuit states Bounds was allegedly driving the rented U-Haul truck to move equipment on Sept. 19, 2024, in the city's West End neighborhood on a one-way street. Bound told police she did not see Johnson in a 2008 Ford F-150 while he was attempting to parallel park on Bartmer Avenue and Hamilton Avenue. Live Blog: Tornado watch issued for the St. Louis region Bounds allegedly struck Johnson's truck, and both denied medical attention after the crash. Johnson also refused medical attention for the passenger in his Ford, who he said was his brother. Police saw damage to the driver's side of the U-Haul truck and damage to the front passenger side of the Ford. A few days later, Johnson told U-Haul he had back pain from the injury and wanted to pursue an injury claim and also stated his Ford could no longer start. He told U-Haul he would only pursue treatment if it was covered. He also stated his daughter was in a car seat at the time of the crash, which contradicted his statement to police that his brother was in the passenger seat. Bounds told U-Haul later that it was her 'belief' that Johnson was parking in the middle of the road while she was allegedly driving 25 to 30 miles per hour. Bounds again told U-Haul she did not know Johnson at the time of the crash. Bounds also told U-Haul she dropped her phone in the river shortly after the accident and lost all photos she took of the accident. After U-Haul investigated the crash, they discovered Bounds was actually going under 5 miles per hour. Bounds also admitted during the investigation that Johnson was her boyfriend. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The lawsuit said despite Bounds and Johnson previously stating they did not know each other, investigators found they had previously lived together and had tagged each other in posts on social media, including TikTok. One of the posts Bounds wrote about Johnson said, 'I want to say Happy 35th Birthday to My Man My Man My Man. Puerto Rico owes us not nothing.' According to the lawsuit, Johnson has an extensive claim history, including previous claims of faked damage and exaggerated injury. Bounds is being sued for seven counts of breaching her rental contract with U-Haul, one count for unclean hands, and 'egregious' misconduct. Both Bounds and Johnson are being sued for one count of fraud. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Woman tells how she rescued unwanted dog: ‘Her story is worth sharing'
Lane Bounds was leaving her gym one morning when she noticed an elderly looking dog wandering in the parking lot. 'She just looked lost, like she was looking for somebody,' said Bounds, who lives in Laurel, Mississippi. 'She didn't know where to go or what to do.' Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. It was a rainy day, Bounds said, and she didn't want to leave the damp and frightened-looking female dog in the parking lot. Bounds tried to offer her treats, but as soon as she got close, the dog took off. 'She just looked at me terrified and ran away,' Bounds said. Bounds, a longtime volunteer with the Least of These Animal Rescue, had helped rescue several dogs in the past, and she decided to put her experience to work. When Bounds got home that day in April 2023, she started searching on social media to see if anybody was looking for a lost dog that matched the dog's profile. She saw a few other posts from people who also saw the wandering dog and were asking about an owner. 'I kind of knew then nobody was looking for her,' Bounds said. She decided to try to catch the skittish dog - which turned out to be tougher than expected. Every morning around 8 a.m., Bounds would drive around looking for the stray pup. She could usually find her near a bank office, by restaurants or sleeping in hedges. Bounds would leave food for her, and she also tried luring her in by introducing her to her 9-year-old miniature Australian shepherd named Delta Dawn. 'I was trying to feed her to build up trust,' she said. After almost two weeks of visiting and feeding the dog, she approached Bounds in a Walmart parking lot. 'She let me get close; she ate out of my hand,' said Bounds, who has two daughters, ages 15 and 5. As Bounds went to her car to drive home, 'lo and behold, she just jumped right in, after 13 days of chasing her around.' Bounds took the pup straight to the vet. They scanned her for a microchip, and to Bounds's relief, she had one. But when she contacted the previous owner, Bounds said she was heartbroken by their reaction. 'They said she went missing in February of 2023, and they did not want her back,' said Bounds, noting that the dog's records showed she was a mixed retriever named Lucy, and she was about 8 years old at the time. 'It was devastating.' Bounds was especially baffled, she said, because Lucy was well-trained and gentle. 'She was wonderful with kids and other dogs,' Bounds said. 'I just couldn't understand.' Given that Lucy became lost in February, Bounds concluded she had been on the streets for about three months. Bounds noticed the wear on Lucy's body. 'Her paws and belly were worn from living on concrete for three months,' Bounds said. Bounds fostered Lucy for a few months, and although others offered to adopt her, Bounds couldn't let her go. 'I could tell she was very, very bonded to me,' she said. So Bounds adopted her, and almost two years later, Lucy - now 10 - is thriving. 'She is the happiest little golden girl,' Bounds said. While it's been almost two years since Lucy first came into Bounds's life, she recently decided to share her pup's rescue story on social media, with the aim of spreading awareness about the overpopulation of stray dogs in Mississippi and elsewhere in the country. 'I feel like people should know that this happens all the time down here,' Bounds said. 'If you can't commit to a pet when you get it, don't get it.' 'I thought her story is worth sharing, so I put it on the internet and people have loved it,' she added. Bounds' TikTok video has more than 663,000 views and thousands of comments. 'How some people could just abandon their aging puppy is beyond me,' someone commented. 'Thank you for loving her in her senior years.' 'Thank you for your diligence and compassion. Lucy deserved you,' someone else wrote. Bounds said she is blown away by the response to her post, and hopes it inspires others. 'If you see an animal in need of help,' she said, 'be the person to help.' Related Content DOGE wants them 'gone' but makes it hard for federal workers to move on NIH reels with fear, uncertainty about future of scientific research After Trump threats, Hong Kong firm to sell stake in Panama Canal ports
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Accusers speak on Jackson County decision: ‘This is way beyond us'
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office wouldn't elaborate on the decision it's standing by regarding not filing criminal charges in a sexual misconduct case against former pastor and school board president Bobby Hawk. However, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson took to social media to share more on the statute of limitations. 'A deadline that determines how long prosecutors have to file criminal charges after a crime occurs,' Prosecutor Johnson shared on what a statute of limitations is in Missouri. 'Once the deadline passes, under state law, we can no longer charge someone with that crime.' Toni's Italian Restaurant closing Olathe location because of I-35 Highway project Prosecutor Johnson added that her office must follow state laws along with time limits.'Some serious crimes like murder, rape, sodomy, or any other class A felony, has no state of limitations, meaning charges can be filed at any time,' she shared. Her office said Tuesday that the time to prosecute these potential crimes against Hawk has expired in this case.'Other felonies must be charged within three years of when the crime occurred and misdemeanors have [an] even shorter time limit of one year.' FOX4 asked what crimes Hawk was accused of, and what classification this would fall under, but the Prosecutor's Office said it would be unethical to say what charges could have been brought not referring to this specific case, Prosecutor Johnson rounded out her educational video by saying: 'When the statute of limitations bars of office from pursuing charges, it does not necessarily mean we don't think the crime occurred, it's about following our state laws.'Hawks' accusers say something must give. 'We are not done with Bobby Hawk. We are not done with him, but this is way beyond us. The laws on the statute of limitation, I think everyone now knows is very skewed. There are thousands of victims out there that aren't being able to go forward and confront their accuser, their assaulters, and stuff like that, and that has to stop,' Destiny Bounds, an accuser said. 'We don't want anybody else in a situation that the Church makes us vulnerable and that it continues to happen.' Two Kansas City-area cocktail bars mourning loss of two team members Bounds is one of several women who've spoken up about sexual misconduct claims against Bobby Hawk. She says her experiences were from about 25 years ago.'If we have enough people come forward that they are seeing that the statute of limitations is just doing people more harm than good. Right? Because our laws are here to assist in the community, to help us, and if they see there is enough harm being done, I feel like that has got to create change in itself,' Bounds continued. On Tuesday, Bounds and others learned no charges will be filed in the case against Hawk. The prosecutor is citing Missouri's State of Limitations. Bounds says devastation then took over. The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office is referring to this statute.'This is why so many women don't want to come forward. Anybody. Men. Women. Anybody. They don't want to step forward, because they are like 'Well that's just what's going to happen.' I just want to say, 'Don't let this stop you,'' Bounds explained. Support stretches through their own stories and experiences with Hawk. Ali Terwilliger and Destiny Bounds met last year after these allegations came to light.'You would have been 11 (years old),' she said referring to Ali. 'I would have 12, passing in time of going to an Assemblies of God Church when we were kids. That's when the incidents happened with me and my sister and where he was in a leadership role in the church at that time,' Bounds and Bounds want people to know, their voices and stories matter.'For us, the second that I heard Izzy's story last year, this was a trauma that had been hidden in my heart for many, many, years and it just broke me to know that someone else had gone through that. Someone that was so precious to me and someone that I knew,' Terwilliger said. 'I would hope that anyone who has experienced something like this, especially with Bobby specifically, that they would join us in this fight to make sure that he can no longer hurt anyone else in this way.''There are several victims that are spanned over different states and churches that are across state lines. There will be numerous churches involved,' Bounds added. Kansas City man sentenced for assaulting officer, illegal ammunition The Prosecutor's Office has shared, if any new evidence or allegations come to light, it will be reviewed. The two women accusing Hawk are urging anyone with any similar experiences, related to this case, and this man, to contact the Blue Springs Police Department. Below are ways to contact police, as they've shared with FOX4. You can remain anonymous. Sergeant Keegan HughesBlue Springs Police Department(816) 220-2693 or email khughes@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
