- Grandpa's Pocket is a nonprofit organization based in Omaha.
- Johnnie Anderson, the founder, grew up with a single mom, and was motivated by his grandpa to pay it forward to others.
- Now that the word is out about their great work, they have too many requests to count.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It's a story that started years ago. Reporter Nolan Bulmahn spoke to a local nonprofit organization founded by your neighbors to help our neighbors in need.
It started when he was just a kid. “Back in the 1070s, raising 4 kids, my mom was a teacher. Whenever we had conditions or needs around the house that mom, we asked grandpa because he lived with us," says Grandpa's Pocket founder Johnnie Anderson.
In January, Johnnie stepped outside his classroom at Papillion High School to create Grandpa's Pocket. Since then, the support has been astronomical. They can't even keep up with the requests for help. "Over the last 2 weeks, we’ve been hit with about 70 applications. So it’s just been overwhelming, says Anderson.
And Grandpa's Pocket is willing to help in any way possible. Helping single parents like Karen Sullivan. “ So, I am a single mom with 5 kids. I also, 2 years ago, was diagnosed with breast cancer, so the last two years. I have been going through chemo surgery, so trying to fix the side of my house was the last thing I needed to do, and I didn’t now who to call or what to do," says Sullivan.
And senior citizens like Karen Belitz. “My whole backyard was completely covered with big branches, and we just couldn’t find anybody to even look at it or give an estimate or anything. That’s the I called Grandpa’s Pocket," Belitz said.
Grandpa's Pocket relies on donations, and the more the community gives, the more Johnnie and his team can give back. If you would like to donate, or are in need of help from Grandpa's Pocket, you can head to their Facebook page or grandpaspocket.org for more information.
