WILLIAMSBURG – A Toano man is feeding the homeless and those in need. His mission:  to change the world, one person at a time. His passion born of personal loss.

"The day after Christmas 2001, I lost my son in a car accident and we wanted to bring some good from his loss," said Thumper Newman.

So he created A Gift from Ben.

Video: Man creates charity after son's death

Larger screen

Each Thursday, dozens of people count on the bounty he and his 15 volunteers provide.

"It means a great deal to all of us,“ says Melvin Hendrick. “We are very fortunate to have this. We look forward to it and with the economy and everything the way it is, it definitely helps on our grocery bills."

Thumper's food rescue mission is a gift to his community.

"It helps a lot because a lot of us just don't have enough to survive through the week or through the month," says Arleen Clayton.

The charity operates 24/7 and serves about 2,500 people a week.

Since 2002, Thumper and his volunteers have distributed more than four million pounds of food.