This small charity in Florida is giving people around the world something to smile about

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Who couldn't use a little extra help these days? Unfortunately, it's a long list of people; perhaps more so now than ever. But, the motive behind a small charity in Florida that got its start during the Coronavirus pandemic is hoping to alleviate some of that stress for select local families, and so far they have raised and donated over $6,000.

It was all started by Universal Orlando worker and Youtuber, Brian Juvers, 44, of Auburndale. He is the sole founder of the organization which he calls "Cargo Proud Charities," an add-on to a brand-concept he came up with several years ago. 

"The name came from the very first video I made about four years ago [...] proving everything that cargo shorts could do. At the end of the video I added the hashtag #cargoproud [...] it got over 10,000 views and it kind of took off," Juvers told The Sunburnt Blogger in an exclusive interview. 

But the nonprofit addition was a more-recent development. 

"I had friends that seemed gloomy during Covid and I started making videos to try and raise spirits. From there, the participation level highly exceeded my expectations, so I decided to try and do something good with it and start a donation format to help those in need."

Thus, Cargo Proud Charities was born.

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Over the past six months and dozens of videos later, Juvers has been using his Youtube channel to share footage of his labor and raise awareness of his organization; but really the main goal is to make people smile, and by posting his videos on social media, he is able to share those smiles worldwide.

"We have sent a large amount of the money to help a two-year-old with cancer. We have sent a family of five that has had a rough couple of years to Universal Studios and supplied them with free tickets and spending money for food, fun and toys. We have also done surprise videos where we donated to fast food employees and randomly filled up unsuspecting peoples gas tanks at random gas stations."

The people that receive help are split between being specifically chosen or randomly picked at random locations --which means you could totally be next if you're in the right place at the right time!

As far as how often this is done, Juvers says he likes to let the donations build up a bit before he finds a person in need; until then, he keeps ideas on standby.

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While Juvers never wants people to feel like they are forced to donate, he does want to make it known that if they do, their money is used in a positive manner to bring happiness to strangers and sick children. 

"I know it sounds a bit corny, but the feeling you get from helping someone and wanting nothing in return is a feeling that is unmatched," he said during our interview.

Juvers hopes that in 10 years time he will be in the position to help people at a even larger scale.

"I just want people to feel free to reach out to me if they know someone that could use help or if they are interested in helping. We won't always be able to offer financial help, but I would be glad to help that person come up with an idea for their cause."

Donations can be sent to @Brian-Juvers on Venmo or through PayPal to [email protected].