OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Many families are still left picking up the pieces after tornadoes ripped across the state earlier this month, but thanks to the kindness of two women, this Thanksgiving will still be a day of gratitude.
"You can say, you know, I'm too busy and I've got my own life to live, but when you see someone you know, basically your neighbors, you're inspired to help," said Kim McGuffee.
McGuffee and Alicia Taylor are coworkers and jumped into action right after the tornadoes by using a community service day at work.
The two cleared debris and helped neighbors recover, but they were left with wanting to do more.
"We decided that a Thanksgiving meal would be pretty easy to accomplish and it might be really helpful for the people that are in need right now that are going to be out from deductibles or just displaced from their home," said Taylor.
They started a GoFundMe campaign and raised $1,500.
McGuffee and Taylor took that money to the Honey Baked Ham Company and bought ten gift cards to hand out to families impacted by the storms.
One of them was the Payne family, who lost their home of 46 years to the tornado.
"There's no rhyme or reason and they're devastating, they don't look back, they just work their track," said Steve Payne.
To them, the gift was more than just a meal.
"It makes for a holiday that's kind of got a little cloud over it, but it makes it a little bit brighter day," said Payne.
The Payne family will enjoy their meal at their granddaughter's house where they've been staying and say it will help them beyond Thanksgiving.
"Actually have a little bit of money left on the gift card that we're going to use probably before Christmas, so it's going to help us in a couple of areas," said Payne.
While they're grateful for the kind act, they say the holidays now bring along a strange feeling.
"When your wife can't go to a cabinet and say I need this pan because it's not there and we don't know where it is, so it makes it difficult kind of working out of someone else's kitchen, you know? but we'll get there, we got a good family and we'll get by, we'll make it," said Payne.
As those like the Payne family rebuild their lives, the kindness and creativity of these two women will no doubt inspire others to give back too.
McGuffee and Taylor plan to keep the GoFundMe page active and continue raising money to feed even more families for Christmas.
To donate, click here.
