Community rallies around woman whose crops was destroyed. She was growing food to feed families in need

A woman was left heartbroken after vandals sprinkled salt all over the land and killed the crops she was growing to feed the underprivileged during the cost-of-living crisis. The woman shared the ordeal and shared a video about it on TikTok, reported Insider. The local community and folks on the internet are stepping up and offering support financially and otherwise to remind her that there are enough and more good people to outnumber vandals. She claims to have fed over 1600 people during the cost-of-living crisis in the UK. Her video touched the hearts of many people and donations and local offers poured over from all across the world. In November, Carly Burd started discussing her "A Meal on me With Love" initiative, which gathers fruits and vegetables she grows from her garden in Harlow, England, puts them into donation boxes, and delivers them to those in need. 

"I have single-handedly fed 190 people, transformed my whole garden into an allotment," she wrote in her fundraiser. But this week was difficult for her when she found someone trespassed onto her garden and poured heavy amounts of salt to destroy "hours and hours of work" that she'd put in, as excess salt can hinder plant growth. "Everything I've planted won't grow, and I can't replant on it because it won't grow," she said.

Many people came to offer support to her in comments. Other TikTok users who are farmers offered advice and said using plenty of straw and water could reverse some damage. Cheryl McGee commented, "Can I help? I'm a gardener and I live 10 minutes from Harlow. Please let me know somehow and I'll help fix it." Whereas Jedward TikTok offered words of support, "You deserve the absolute world. Nobody deserves something like this to happen." 

Burd thanked viewers for these donations in a follow-up video on the next day but said tasting the salt whirling from the plot was still upsetting. In tears, Burd said onions that her children and volunteers had planted along with her "would have fed 300 families." "The amount of work — I can't even begin to tell you — that's gone into that allotment, it's unbelievable," she added. Burd also started a GoFundMe campaign and it has raised $283,000, which started with a goal of $5,000. Its description says that all funds raised "goes straight back into 'A Meal on Me.'"

In a television interview that Burd posted on her account in November, her contributions come from having faced the inability to afford food and this made her help those struggling to make ends meet. Burd has also lived with multiple sclerosis and lupus.

As for her garden, "I think I'm going to turn it into a seating area where elders can come down and we can have tea and coffee and cakes and chats and things like that," Burd said. "I'm absolutely overwhelmed by everyone's comments and everything," she added. "I really do appreciate it — thank you." 

We also hope Burd moves past this setback and continues her amazing work!