DO GOODER

Neighbors Line Street ToCelebrate UPS Driver Who Makes Everyone Feel At Home.

Patty Friedman moved into a newneighborhood in Midlothian, Virginia, in the midst of a global health crisis.Becausemost of her neighbors were self-isolating, the first few weeks there wereincredibly lonely for Patty. That’s why she started looking forward to thebrief interactions she had with Anthony Gaskins, her UPS delivery driver.Shesaid Anthony became “the highlight” of her day when he stopped by on one of hismany deliveries.

More residents rely on him nowthan ever before, yet he has taken the extra work in stride and always has afriendly word for everyone whose path he crosses.

Patty began to think of Anthonyas a hero, and when she mentioned him to her new neighbors, she found out thata lot of other people thought so too! Together, they decided to do somethingspecial to honor his hard work and positive attitude, so they threw him aparade! “Even though his truck does not have sirens and his uniform does notoffer added fire protection, Anthony Gaskins is considered a hero in theHallsley neighborhood,” Patty wrote on Facebook. “Through COVID, Anthony hascontinued working, delivering packages at our doors, record numbers of them,over 180 times to date. I wanted to thank him personally for how much he helpedme feel welcome when I moved in during a pandemic.”On the day of the parade,more than 75 cars and hundreds of people lined the streets to wait forAnthony’s familiar brown truck to round the corner.

“A humble man, he needed to becoaxed, but eventually, slowly drove his truck down the road while children andadults held up signs, screamed his name, honked their horns, and rang bells,”Patty explained.His UPS supervisors attended the event and presented him with agift for his service, and Anthony was moved to tears by everyone’s unexpectedkindness.True to form, Anthony only stayed for a little while before gettingback in his truck and continuing with the work at hand. It’s so important torecognize the everyday heroes who are keeping our society running in thisuncertain time!

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