Pay It Forward: A Matter of The Heart

A local woman saw a need and now she is making positive changes in the lives of others. Three years ago, Cheryl Tanner had an idea.

“You know everybody, when you first start out, everybody’s a little tight,” said Tanner.

And just like that, A Matter of The Heart was born. It’s her Facebook page. Here’s how it works. People post items to donate. Other people post items they may need. When there’s a match, Cheryl’s organization handles pickup and delivery at no cost. If a donated item has great value, with permission from the donor, Cheryl will auction it on the site. That money goes toward expenses for things like gas for travel.

“Uhm, we go clear from Teton all the way past Soda Springs and we even have some up in Boise,” said Tanner.

There is also the website www.amoth.net for those who don’t use Facebook. There are a lot of items moving back and forth. So much so, that Tanner does this full-time now, with the help of family.

“We have eight storage units,” said Tanner.

They’re scattered throughout southeastern Idaho to make access easier, which helps in the case of an emergency delivery following a traumatic event.

“So we’re collecting currently, dishes and clothes and toys and we’re delivering it to these people,” said Tanner.

The project is expanding because of social media from Boise to Montana and even requests in California from former Idahoans.

“Why in the world are you doing this?” asked Channel 3 news anchor Todd Kunz.

“Because I like to help people,” said Tanner.

“What do you get out of it?” Kunz asked.

“I feel good. I look in the mirror and I feel good. I don’t get anything out of it,” replied Tanner.

Time to pay it forward.

“This is Angela and I’m Kory (Carling) and we’re with Mountain America Credit Union,” said Carling.

“How are you?” said Tanner.

“Good. We’ve heard a lot about your organization and the impact you are having on our community. And we’d like to help you out by paying it forward. So we brought with us today, $500 cash that we hope will help you continue to have an impact on the lives of the families and our communities as well,” said Carling.

“Wow!” said Tanner.

“We’d like to tell you thank you for all you’ve done,” said Carling.

“Well, thank you,” said Tanner.

“It’s our pleasure,” said Carling.

“I appreciate it,” said Tanner.

If you have items you would like to donate, call 208- 881-8112. If you would like to join the Facebook group, just search for “A Matter of The Heart” on Facebook.

Pay It Forward will air the second Wednesday of every month. If you know of a nonprofit organization or someone that deserves to be recognized for their contributions to the area, click on “Pay It Forward” off to the right side of our website and fill out the form, or send an email to Eyewitness News anchor Todd Kunz at tkunz@kidk.com.