As we age, we aren’t always able to take care of ourselves and our homes the way we used to. It can be a hard thing to accept, especially if we’re facing a big task we used to do with ease or aren’t ready to give up a home that we love.
That may be the case for one Phoenix-based woman named Margo. The 81-year-old still lives at home, where special tasks can be a bit much for her. Thankfully, a kind mail carrier realized Margo’s situation and stepped in to help.
A Routine Delivery
Ra’sheen Turpin has worked for the US Postal Service for nine years, according to NBC News. For eight of those years, he has delivered to the same neighborhood and knows many of the residents by name.
One day, he was passing by Margo’s house when he noticed she was outside hauling dead palm fronds. It was heavy work and the woman was struggling.
“I saw her doing that, and I was like, ‘Oh no, she shouldn’t be doing that,’” he recalled to the news outlet. “It was just sad to see that. She had no tools that you could see.”
Three years ago, Margo had suffered a bad fall and ended up in the hospital. “I do the best I can. Whatever I can do, I do,” Margo told the publication. “But I can’t do it all like I would like.”
Turpin knew that Margo was having a hard time, but he also knew she wanted to keep her yard in compliance with the local regulations. So he took a photo and put a call out on social media.
Answering the Call
On a local neighborhood Facebook page, residents were quick to respond to Turpin’s request for help. A woman named Samantha Young, who runs a business that offers yard work and other handy work services, showed up within hours.
“You could just see that she needed help,” Young told NBC News. “It was just too big of a job. She’s probably on a fixed income and can’t afford to get her big yard done.”
It was Young’s day off, so she headed over right away. Not only did the neighbor offer her services and tools for free, but she was able to get the yard cleaned up in a matter of hours.
“If I had known, honestly I would have come sooner,” she said.
Others were inspired by Young’s act of community and wanted to help in their own way. They couldn’t physically help, but they sent donations for the woman’s time instead.
“Maybe that’ll be extra funds for somebody else’s yard,” the business owner said.
Going Above and Beyond
This story resonated with so many people because it represents what community is truly about: looking out for one another and doing what we can to spread kindness and compassion. It all started with a mail carrier who recognized a need. Then, it continued with a neighbor who was able to help. And it all inspired other neighbors who wanted to contribute in their own ways, too.
It’s a nice reminder to all of us that when we see a need in our own community, we shouldn’t wait for someone else to do something about it. Not when we can step in and help instead.
Perhaps that means raking leaves or shoveling snow for a neighbor the next time you’re out there cleaning up your own property. Or maybe it means passing on some cookies to a neighbor the next time you whip up a batch.
Whatever small contributions you decide to make to your own community, try and remember that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a really big difference in someone else’s day.
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