A STORY FROM OUR COMMUNITY
Sometimes the impact of kindness reveals itself years later.
By Blaine McCarty, Senior Manager of Brand Strategy
It was an ordinary Thursday afternoon.
On September 3, 21-year-old Giancarlo was driving through Roswell when he passed NFCC Thrift. He recognized the organization, remembered what it had meant to his family and decided to stop.
Nearly ten years had passed since Giancarlo and his three brothers accompanied their mother, Kimberly, to NFCC’s Food Pantry for assistance.
Now, he was returning for a different reason. He wanted to give back to the community that had once helped his family.
I was working on one of our newsletters when Sylvia, our Vice President of Community Engagement, came into my office and told me I needed to stop what I was doing. There was someone she wanted me to meet.
I’m so glad I did.
Because after listening to Giancarlo’s story, I walked away reminded that the kindness we show others can stay with them long after the moment has passed.
Growing up, Giancarlo and his brothers experienced years of housing instability. Their family moved between states, stayed in hotels and sometimes lived out of their car.
During those difficult years, their mother turned to NFCC for help providing food for her family.
The years that followed brought more challenges. His education was interrupted, but in 2025, he earned his GED. He also discovered a passion for cooking, working his way from busser to sous chef at just 19 years old.
Today, Giancarlo works as a chef in Alpharetta and shares a home with his brothers. Together, they’re building their futures while navigating the loss of their mother to breast cancer. But something else stood out during our conversation.
For much of his childhood, Giancarlo struggled to connect with people outside his family. Learning to build friendships and trust others became an important part of his journey. Perhaps that’s what makes his decision to return so meaningful.
At 21, Giancarlo is still building his future. But on an ordinary Thursday afternoon, he remembered a place that had helped his family years earlier and decided to stop.
He didn’t have to come back. He simply wanted to.
I’ve thought about that moment quite a bit since meeting him.
At NFCC, our work is about more than easing hardship. It’s about helping our neighbors build financial stability and create new possibilities for their futures. But we don’t always get to see where those journeys lead. Sometimes, though, someone like Giancarlo comes back and gives us a glimpse.
Ten years ago, Giancarlo came to NFCC with his family because they needed a helping hand. This September, he walked through our doors because he wanted to extend one to someone else.
And that’s what it means when community comes full circle.