06/04/2026
A North St. Louis mother has quietly fed hundreds of neighborhood children every school day for more than a decade.
Champale Anderson, a mother of six from the Penrose neighborhood in Missouri, started preparing free lunches in 2014 after she saw kids coming home from school hungry. From her own kitchen, she makes simple meals like sandwiches, snacks, fruit cups, and drinks. Children know they can walk right up to her door and receive lunch with no questions asked. On many days, she prepares 100 or more meals. Her children often help pack the food, and the work continues strong today.
Anderson supports the effort through her healthcare job, along with donations from the community and a GoFundMe page for her project called Champ’s Teardrops. What began as a small act of care has grown into steady support for families facing food insecurity in North St. Louis. Her consistent dedication shows how one person’s steady commitment can lift up an entire neighborhood over many years.
(Photo: Champale Anderson)
