College student's genius use of expensive college meal plan feeds 120 homeless people

Chances to make a difference can pop up when you least expect. It's all about staying open-hearted and eagle-eyed. Reddit user u/RotomRoomba shared how he turned an exploitative policy into a blessing by feeding almost 120 people. It all started as a joke suggested by his cousin, but as he thought deeply and hard about it, the man concluded that he could make it happen. After teaming up with a local organization, he gathered a group of people in need right on his campus, setting his compassionate plan into motion. Despite the fiery glares from the powers-that-be, the grateful smiles from those he helped made every bit of scrutiny fade away.

Reflecting on the saga, the man shared that this all unfolded two decades ago. He explained how his institution invested in a new dining hall and, to recuperate the money demanded that every student take an expensive 150-meal plan from them. "This was a big financial burden being from a lower middle-class family, but my parents pooled funds to help me out and make it happen," he explained. As the semester started, he quickly realized he could not have all 150 meals by himself since he lived off-campus. Also, his friends informed him, "The meals you didn't use didn't roll over." It meant the money his family collected with so much effort would go to waste.

The student shared the problem with his cousin, who was a senior in the same college. The cousin jokingly presented a plan, "What if you brought a bunch of homeless people to use up your meals? How much would that piss off those self-righteous bast****!" Both laughed it off, but this somehow got stuck in the student's mind. He began discussing it with his friends as well as his cousin and figured out that the plan was possible to put in place. It was all well within the rules laid up by the authorities. They would be able to kill two birds with one stone. Feed many needy individuals and also deflate the ego of the authorities who think they can cheat children through this devious scheme.

He and his friends went to a nearby Salvation Army to collaborate with them on this scheme. At first, the coordinator was a little apprehensive, considering the authorities were not in the student's favor but conceded since people associated with the organization would hugely benefit from free meals, especially during the "holiday season." He wrote, "She helped me organize 2 days the following week where around 30 people would meet me to eat at the dining hall. I would wear a certain hat so they could find me and we would go eat."

Later that day, the man was glad to see many responding to his invitation. "There were homeless people in tattered clothes. There were families with kids that seemed excited to eat out. There was even one family I will always remember that seemed embarrassed to take a handout, but I made an effort to talk to everybody and make them feel welcomed," he shared. As soon as the noon struck, he led them into the dining hall. He went to the lady responsible for serving the meals and said, "These people are with me. They are my friends. I would like to swipe them in." Clearly irritated, but she understood it was within the rules, so she had to allow it.

As soon as the group entered, they were welcomed with all reactions. "There were students that were laughing. Some students were giving me the silent clap. There were snobbish faculty members who seemed to be disgusted at the type of people coming into the dining hall," the student shared. At one point, one of the faculty members chided him about the whole fiasco, but he swiftly put her in place. The man clearly told her that whatever he was doing was within the rules and did not need to explain anything to anyone.

He continued doing so even in the next semester. Seeing the happy faces was worth all the scornful expressions he received. For the man, it is still one of the most "proudest moments" in his life. Every time he talks about it with his family, it brings a smile to his face. In his interview with Bored Panda, the man identified himself as Kyle and said, "I think we could all use a little more of sticking it to the man and a lot more of looking out for each other."

The comment section loved how everything turned out. u/PhDTARDIS shared how the story inspired them to do something similar, "My university offers meal plans to employees at a discount - but you had to buy 50 of them and it was payroll deducted. I did so, because I worked there the second year of my doctoral program, and the meals never expire. Five years ago, I had to take a medical leave from my studies - I still have about 30 meals left. I'm inspired by this idea, especially because I'll be taking my last two classes online and I work 50 miles away now. No Salvation Army, but I can find others right off campus who could use the good meal. I can make it a point of doing that on the occasions I'm meeting with my major professor when I return to school next fall." u/mrxtheshadowlurker appreciated Kyle and wrote, "Bro, you're a legend! I wish more people in the world had the same type of compassion as you. I'm pretty sure you made unforgettable memories for many people that day. I really hope life blesses you for this moment."