For the past 13 years, the people of a small suburban community in New York have come to rely on Gregory Watkins, Sr., a UPS driver who services their area.
Greg is a 30-year veteran of the company who always seems to go above and beyond the call of duty. He takes the time to get to know the people on his route, and he’s become a friend to all.
Neighbors recall many times when Greg stopped to help them lift a heavy package or took the time to check in on elderly residents. He’s always been an essential worker to them, but during the Covid-19 pandemic his work became even more critical to the community.
“In New York we were the epicenter of the pandemic, so Greg was the one out working long hours 8 days a week, and even with that he was so personable with a smile and a wave and a ‘what can I do for you?’ and ‘how is the family?’ Just knowing him as well as we all do we wanted to do something for him,” said resident Linda Murathor.
Knowing how hard he was working to keep the supply chain running, the community got together over video conference to find a way to honor Greg’s hard work. They devised a plan to get him on their block at a certain time one day, then made signs and lined the street to greet his truck.
Greg could not believe his eyes when he pulled into the neighborhood to find dozens of people holding signs of appreciation and love for him!
“I had no clue that that was going to happen, so I had a loss for words, I was just totally blown away,” said the grateful driver. “It was just amazing. I can’t believe that they actually took the time to put something like that together for me, and I just felt loved and cared for.”
The neighbors presented Greg with gifts and a flowering shrub, and he told them all that watching their children grow up before his very eyes has been a true blessing in his life, even if it does make him “feel old!”
Linda says that she and her community members were just happy to have a chance to say thank you to someone who is always there for them, adding that as a society we should all be focusing our praise on the “everyday heroes” who walk among us.
“These are the type of people we should be celebrating. The one’s who are out there everyday, just being a good person,” she said.
We could not agree more! Greg is the type of guy who doesn’t help others for the recognition; he just does it because it’s the right thing to do. It’s wonderful to see him being honored in this incredibly sweet way.
Share this story, and try to thank an everyday hero in your life today!
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