'Home' Stars Surprise Texas Woman With Movie Premiere, Donation
Rihanna, Jim Parsons and Steve Martin delivered the news to the lucky winner.
— -- A Texas woman who started a food pantry in her hometown using food from her own kitchen was surprised today by the stars of the new animated movie “Home.”
Rihanna, Steve Martin and Jim Parsons appeared on “Good Morning America” and told the woman, Cheryl Jackson, she would get a red carpet premiere of their new movie in her hometown of Plano, Texas.
“I just want to say that we are so amazed by the work that you've been doing in your community," Rihanna said. "We are inspired and we're so proud of you."
"We want to bring 'Home' to your hometown," the singer said. "We're coming. We cannot wait to meet you, girl. Red carpet, baby."
Jackson - who screamed, cried and fanned her face at the news she won the "'GMA' Brings 'Home' to Your Hometown" contest - started her own food pantry in Plano in 2008.
She named the pantry after her mother, Minnie, and, in the early days, when she donated her own food, had the mission to just serve as many people as she could.
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, feed just one,” Jackson said.
Today, Minnie’s Food Pantry is a family-run nonprofit that has fed 4 million meals to the community.
“Even though they’re coming for food, they need love, they need support,” Jackson’s son, Robert Jackson, said of the people the pantry serves.
Jackson was at work this morning when she got the surprise. She thought she was being interviewed as a contest finalist.
Instead, the woman nicknamed “Action” because of all she does, walked out to a red carpet filled with her family, friends and the people she serves. When she saw the stars of "Home" on a monitor, Jackson started screaming and pointing her finger at them.
"They're coming here," she screamed.
In addition to the movie premiere, Parsons announced another surprise for Jackson.
"You have also won, because of your good work, a donation to feed 25,000 people from DreamWorks Animation," the actor said.
Jackson's red carpet premiere of "Home" will take place in Plano March 17. The movie hits theaters nationwide March 27.