9 Nanas: The Grandmas Who Spread Happiness Clandestinely

Teresa Neumann : Jun 27, 2012 : Happiness Happens

"Our little group has kept what we do a secret for over 30 years. And that hasn't always been easy, especially when we hear people talking about what we've done. Somehow we've managed to keep quiet. A "pinky promise" is a powerful thing!" -Nana Pearl

REPORTER'S NOTE: This story speaks for itself. If you're like me, you'll be blown away by the simplicity of this project and how God can use anybody, and the most basic methods, to reach out to those in need. My hat's off to you 9 Nanas! Thanks for the inspiration. -Teresa Neumann, BCN.

(Memphis, TN)—The cat's out of the bag. In a story dripping with wonderful Southern charm, for 30 years, nine women who call themselves "The 9 Nanas" have been feeding the needy in such a humble fashion that for a long time even their husbands didn't know what they were up to.

9 Nana Pound Cake A report in the Daily Mail notes that the nanas "have been secretly whipping up and delivering hundreds of pound cakes during the middle of the night in a grand scheme to help those in need. And then, before anyone can catch a glimpse of them, they quietly and quickly disappear [like cat burglars] back into their daily lives in West Tennessee."

The nanas' homemade goodies came with a note that simply reads, "Somebody loves you."

Said Nana Mary Ellen, "We drive through low-income neighborhoods and look for homes with fans in the window. That told us that the people who live there don't have air-conditioning. Or, we see that there are no lights on…which means there is a good chance their utilities have been turned off."

It all reportedly started over a card game discussion, decades ago, when the women were remembering how their grandparents reached out to their neighbors in times of need. After some brainstorming, the nanas came up with practical method of coming up with $400 per month to finance their clandestine venture.

Ultimately, the husband's found out what their wives were doing and offered to help out, which resulted in the women moving their baking operation out of their homes and into a commercial kitchen owned by one of their sons.

"They sneak in before sunrise," notes the Daily Mail report, "and sneak out before the staff come in, and have also hired a 'happiness coordinator' who…goes by the name of 'Sunny.'"

Now that the 9 Nanas outreach has been leaked to the media, they are trying to impact the entire nation. Below are excerpts from their Facebook page and Happiness Happens website:

We're a group of 9 Nanas. And each week, we randomly select strangers and surreptitiously send them one of our blue-ribbon cakes, sauce and a logo t-shirt or bag. We do it because we want to spread happiness and create a sweet society.

Our mission is to:

#1 create peerless products
#2 value the person placing the order
#3 use our resources to create a sweeter society

The 9 Nanas (Happiness-Happens) only offer organic, scratch-baked goods made with the freshest and finest ingredients and without the use of artificial flavorings, colors or preservatives.

People everywhere appreciate the warmth of a Grandma. And since we can't reach out and hug everybody, our organic, scratch-baked cakes and curds are the next best thing. So each week, we randomly select strangers and surreptitiously send them one of our blue ribbon cakes, sauce and a logo T-shirt or bag. Widows and single mommies also have a special place in our heart. So we step in and help them financially. And it's all done because we want to spread happiness.

It all started in 1977 over a game of bridge and lunch. We went from complaining about crime and the other ills of our communities to listening with our hearts.

In the past, we'd surreptitiously help widows and single moms by paying their bills, buying their children school clothes and filling their pantries.

To cover more ground, we decided to use our blue-ribbon, organic pound cakes as a vehicle to continue this on-going project. And it's all done surreptitiously.

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