AUSTIN, Texas — A 12-year-old raised enough money over a five-year period to provide 1 million meals to the Central Texas Food Bank.

Mace Started collecting donations when he was 7

Doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon

Has a website where people can donate

Mace Massingill started collecting donations for food when he was 7 years old during Thanksgiving when his parents encouraged family members to bring food donations to dinner. His mother, Holly Mace Massingill, said a trip to the food bank that lit a fire in him.

"The volunteer there said, 'Without you, 147 people wouldn't have food,'" Holly Mace Massingill said. "That, in his 7-year-old mind, made it click that there are people out there that literally don't have food in their pantry. That's when he said 'I can do something about that.'"

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Mace set a goal that year to raise enough money for 1,000 meals before Christmas. He shattered that goal by raising over 5,000. His goal in 2015 was 10,000 meals, but he managed to raise over 30,000. In 2016, he raised over 200,000 meals, and has consistently raised hundreds of thousands of meals every year since. His haul in 2019 brought his total to 1,132,424 meals since he started at seven years old.

"The thought of people having to go hungry, not having food, having to go through daily struggles just sounds horrible to me," Mace Massingill said.

Mace Massingill plans to continue his efforts throughout his childhood. His mother said he hopes his work inspires other kids to help.

"He truly believes that kids can end hunger if they all work together," she said. "It's really powerful to see."

Mace Massingi llhas his own website through the Central Texas Food Bank where people can donate money to help buy meals. He and his family also participate in events throughout the year to raise money, including selling raffle tickets for a silent auction at Sine Die Smokers.