One small act of kindness can really make all the difference in the world. For 10 stranded tourists traveling through New York recently, the kindness of two people helped keep them safe and warm during a terrible snowstorm.
Winter in the East means one thing – snowstorms. While many living in this part of the country are used to it, it doesn’t make it any less hard. Alex Campagna and his wife, Andrea Schmitt, of Buffalo, New York, had just stocked up their pantry due to the snowstorms in their area. Little did they know that extra food would come in handy when two passersby knocked on their door.
“We knew that with the storm approaching it (would) be best to keep our pantry stocked, our fridge and freezer filled,” Alex Campagna said.
Let’s just say they had the right idea.
Around 2 p.m. two men knocked on their door and Alex met them with shovels in hand as they mentioned their vehicle was stuck. As they got part way down the driveway, the men shared that they were with a tour group from South Korea and there were 10 people in the car. At this point, Alex sprung into action.
“I said get all of them inside our house right now because the road was too dangerous to be on and the snow was falling too hard,” he said.
Alex and Andrea opened their home to 10 people. The group had left Washington D.C. that morning heading to Niagara Falls before getting stuck, so the Alex and Andrea’s offer came as a huge relief!
In addition to the couple opening up their home, they also made time for a little celebration. There was a newly-married couple traveling with the group.
“We thought, ‘Hey, we have a bottle of champagne. Let’s get it chilled and surprise them with a little honeymoon toast after dinner,’ Alex said. “‘I think that really helped make everyone feel so comfortable and at home.'”
This is a remarkable example of what it means to pay it forward and represent true kindness. Alex has a message for anyone else who might get an unexpected knock on their door one day.
“No matter where you are in the world, if you receive a knock on the door at your home and you open the door to perfect strangers, you never know who’s going to come inside but the compassion and love that human beings have for each other triumph,”Alex said.
We couldn’t agree more. There is still genuine kindness in this world. We just have to be willing to pay closer attention to it and commit to being a part of it.
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