A couple has gone viral on social media after using the deposit from their canceled wedding to feed 200 people this Thanksgiving.
According to a report from The Washington Post, the charitable initiative was spearheaded by Billy Lewis and Emily Bugg, who both hail from Chicago.
Billy and Emily first met on the dating app Bumble back in 2017 and were married in a ceremony held at Chicago City Hall.
The couple had been expecting to have a lavish reception and a big party once their nuptials were over -booking a venue for a disco, a DJ, and a photographer.
Additionally, they had invited more than 150 guests, but were forced to curtail their places to adhere to social distancing guidelines set in place amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Not wanting their $5,000 catering deposit to go to waste, Lewis and Bugg teamed up with their wedding caterer Big Delicious Planet to perform an inspiring act of kindness.
Bug and Lewis used the money to fund Thanksgiving meals for Thresholds - a homeless shelter that specializes in helping those with substance abuse disorders and mental illnesses break out of poverty.
Commenting on their deed in a later interview with Good Morning America, Bugg stated:
"In the grand scheme of things, canceling a big wedding isn't the worst thing that could happen.
"We're happy to be married, and we're so happy that we could help Thresholds' clients feel the connection of a Thanksgiving meal as a result of the wedding cancellation."
Meanwhile, Lewis told The Washington Post: "I’m lucky to have a wife who is clever and thoughtful enough to change a not-so-good situation into something positive for a lot of people."
Thresholds CEO Mark Ishaug also stated: "These small moments of connection are what’s keeping us going during these difficult months... Other people start asking themselves: 'What can I do for others at Thanksgiving?'
"There’s been so much anger and fear this past year… and then we have something like this from Emily and Billy, which is just about humanity and kindness."
So if you'd like to help someone struggling this year, then why not visit the official website of Thresholds and make a donation? It could make a big difference.
