The Good Side Of Social Media We Should Focus On

There’s a good side to social media. I know it’s hard to believe, given all the terrible things we see daily on social media, but it’s true. I notice it now more than ever, especially with the person I want to highlight. 

This content creator, whose name is Mathew, who goes by the name yourbafootneighbor on social media, is known for his straightforward and simple cooking content, including his own cookbooks. 

He is also recognized for his charitable work supporting causes he cares about deeply. I remember discovering his page because of the charity work he was involved in, and I stayed. I’m glad I did, because of all the good he does and accomplishes for so many.

When he has organized fundraisers before, he has fulfilled the wishlists of food pantries and similar organizations. 

He would share a link to these wishlists, for different things he was doing for his community  and what they needed, and he tells his supporters about it and does it  without any pressure to donate if they can’t 

Every time he has done this, it has been a great success, fulfilling countless wishlists, helping to feed many families and individuals, and even supporting other food pantries.

Recently, for his 43rd birthday, Matthew organized his first major fundraising event, as his Amazon wishlist fundraisers were becoming increasingly difficult for him to manage, given the growing number of donations. He decided to do this instead.

So, what was his big birthday fundraiser this year? 

He aimed to raise 1 million dollars by going live on three different platforms for 24 hours straight. For  20 different charities in 6 different states, and even an international organization 

So, how did it go? I was on Instagram with his supporters across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. We called ourselves the Oion Rings, an inside joke about this fundraiser. Although planned for 24 hours, it actually lasted 26 hours, raising $350,823 for 20 non-profits doing incredible work.

This was accomplished in partnership with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Here are all the non-profits that received help and how the funds were distributed among them: 

• Gulf Coast Center for NonViolence: $23,909 
• Elijah’s Closet: $23,909 
• King’s Kitchen: $23,909 
• Toups Family Meal: $23,909 
• Knox Pride (food pantry): $23,909 
• Back Bay Mission Micah Day Center: $23,909 
• Camp Awesome: $10,000 
• Pink Heart Funds: $23,909 
• Extra Table: $23,909 
• Habitat for Humanity Gulf Coast: $5,000 
• World Central Kitchen: $5,000 
• The Trevor Project: $5,000 
• Penelope House: $23,909 
• Bella Bowman Foundation: $23,909 
• Back Bay Mission Food Pantry: $23,909 
• Hope Squad: $5,000 
• Gulf Coast Association of Pride (community outreach project): $5,000 
• Open Doors Coalition: $23,909 
• Project Dignity WNC: $5,000 
• Mississippi Heroes (wheelchair ramps): $23,909

Seeing all this goodness on social media reminds me that there is—and always will be—positive content on social media, despite what we see these days. 

Social media is not inherently good, and content creators are often not viewed in a positive light.  Social media is often viewed as addictive, and some content creators do engage in questionable behavior. Or just do things to get views. However, there are content creators like Matthew who are doing amazing things both on and off social media. 

Mr. Rogers famously advised to look for the helpers, as there are always people who are willing to help. This content creator, along with others, exemplifies that spirit. You should follow him and witness the positivity shared on social media, which is especially important now.

Featured image via YouTube screengrab