Falling leaves at Paynetown Campground mark the beginning of autumn in Morgan County and usher in reminders of an annual task: the readying and winterization of RVs and campers for spring.

Gunner Burnam grew up in Martinsville and was familiar with this yearly ritual. A lifelong outdoors lover, Burnam was 13 when the leaves fell in 2017. Jennifer Burnam, his mother, remembers his love for the outdoors being matched only by his love for people and service.

“He was an old soul; he did the work of a man. He never really was a kid. So, everybody knew and loved Gunner,” Jennifer said. “He was just an absolutely, unbelievable kid.”

When the middle schooler saw the amount of food being tossed from Paynetown campsites, it stuck with him. An idea soon blossomed. Instead of tossing all that food, what if there was a way to give it to people in need?

“He thought he would do a food collection on that weekend. Then, as all the campers leave, they could just drop off all their non-perishable items. That was going to be his Eagle Scout project,” Jennifer said.

It was an innovative idea rooted in community love, a characteristic of the teenager dedicated to giving back. However, it was one he would never grow old enough to see through. Although the Burtram family didn’t know it, the fall when their son planned the food drive for his Eagle Scout project would be his last.

Two days before Christmas, Gunner was diagnosed with DIPG, or diffuse intrinsic midline pontine glioma, an aggressive form of brain stem cancer. In children, the diagnosis is fatal.

Gunner lived just nine more months and died shortly after his 14th birthday. In the fight of his life against a deadly cancer, the task of gathering those 500 food items from campsites at Paynetown fell to the wayside as Gunner spent his last moments with close family and friends.

At his funeral, the Eagle Scouts came to the Burnam family with an offer. If they could somehow collect those 500 food items Gunner dreamed of distributing to people in need, he could still receive his Eagle Scout designation posthumously.

The Burnhams got to work to collect 500 cans of food.

“Well, word started spreading, because the schools loved Gunner, the town loved Gunner. Everybody wanted to be a part of it, and we ended up with almost 6,000 cans of food. I had no idea what to do with 6,000 cans of food, so someone mentioned trying Wellspring,” Jenifer said.

WellSpring in Martinsville is a respected community organization that provides housing and resources for community members. It is also Morgan County’s only homeless shelter. The Burnam family soon realized this type of effort, one seeped deeply in the memory of a goal Gunner never saw achieved in life, could help change people’s even after his death.

Today, Jennifer estimates the pantry helps feed 50 families a month who come to WellSpring for services. She makes a point of being there on Gleaners distribution days.

“I still get to be his mom because I feel like this is his pantry. And then, I always come on Gleaners Day; we have a big van load to unload, pack, and put away. And while I’m here, I get to know the families that live here. While I’m in there, they’ll come in and get their food, and I get to witness their journey and get to be a part of that,” Jennifer said.

The Gunner James Burnam Food Pantry continues to expand  with freezers, hygiene products, and birthday boxes with festive decorations. Gunner’s smile and name are enshrined on the wall, where his legacy continues.

“My son is still doing good from heaven. And, to get to be a part of that, and for me to be a part of all the good, it’s an honor,” Jennifer said.

Gunner’s death didn’t mean the end of his impact on a community he loved.

“You never want this to happen, and I don’t want this to happen to anybody, but it did happen. And I can’t think of a better way for his memory to be carried on, other than being able to help others and feed others in his name, like we do,” Jennifer said.

Gleaners supplies food to the WellSpring, one of many partner pantries throughout our 21-service county areas. A gift to Gleaners means supporting community efforts like Jennifer Burnam and the WellSpring, who serve communities that need it most.