Kind Hearts Sparked A Town

By: Lourdes G. Mon

 

In our community, there are many of us who are involved in charity work, like going to pack food at Feed My Starving Children. There’s quite a good number of volunteerism that we do relative to our membership in the Lion’s Club. When there are calamities or disasters happening in our respective towns in the Philippines, we do our fair share of raising funds or sending ‘balikbayan’ boxes full of goodies to help our fellow Filipinos back home. We do our share of helping the needy.

I do remember some years ago, my godchild Bobby Leighton did a fundraising for a cousin of his in the Philippines. He did it through Facebook. I did contribute but gave my donation directly to him, not through Facebook.

However, this is one awesome story, a fantastic act of kindness by one magnificent lady, who helped a stranger she saw walking down the street while she was on her way to work. This story was featured on television and in various periodicals that caught my attention. It will truly melt your heart. It makes me believe that there are more kind-hearted people in this world than all the negativism we often hear on radio or see on television. The heroin’s name is Christy Conrad, who did not only give a stranger a ride, but did a noble act to make life a bit easier for him.

On the way to their destination, it gave them a chance to make conversations, especially her passenger Bill. Quickly, Christy learned that 57-year old Bill was legally blind. It must have touched her so much that she did a noble act to a person she just met for the first time. She also learned that Bill walked five miles each way to his overnight job at a department store as a janitor in Cabot, Arkansas. It amounts to two hours back and forth. He works Tuesday through Friday, from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM. He never missed a day of work at his overnight shift, regardless of weather conditions. He told her, “I don’t call out. I want to work.” He also told her that he used to ride bicycle to work but was struck by a car one day. That did not stop him from going to work. He’s such a hard worker that he still made it to work using a walker. A few years later, Bill was struck by a car again. It is indeed a risky chore for a legally blind individual.

Having heard his stories, Christy took pity on him and so she continued driving him whenever she could. His story began a beautiful friendship, with the efforts of Christy. Because she couldn’t drive him everyday, kind-hearted Christy created ‘Mr. Bill’s Village, a Facebook page. She created the Facebook group with the hope that a few volunteers would keep an eye on Bill while he is walking. Well, people responded beyond anybody’s expectations. It became a makeshift ride side service. As of today, there are 1,500 volunteers who responded to her plea.

This is where it showed that there are many kind-hearted people in this world. Bill’s predicament touched many people’s emotion. One volunteer said, “Within days, the number of volunteers exploded.” Another one commented, “Now it’s like everyone is competing to give Mr. Bill a ride.”

The group is a way for members to come together to ensure that Bill can get around and members also pick him up meals from time to time. They also created the ‘GoFundMe’ campaign to help with his expenses. Christy uses the money to buy meals for Bill. People will often drive down the streets looking for Bill. Almost always, he gets a ride to work or home. “There’s a lot of good people in this world, all over the place, you know. It’s never the same person from one day to the next.” Bill said.

He used to ride his bike but was struck by a car one day. That did not stop him from going to work. He’s such a hard worker that he still made it to work using a walker. A few years later, Bill was struck by a car again.

Chris Puckett, a local car dealer, wanted to gift Bill with a vehicle. But since Bill cannot drive, he handed the car keys to Christy Conrad, the lady who gave Bill a lift and created the Facebook page. She says that Bill goes to work regardless of any weather condition. She added that one morning, she picked him up at nine-degree temperature.

In my mind, this is more a story of a helping hand by Christy Conrad, that created a storm of volunteers, though the recipient of her act of kindness and ingenuity is Bill Moczulewski, a legally blind gentleman.

Lourdes speaking before her guests on her 90th birthday celebration.

Lourdes dancing with her husband Francis on her 80th birthday celebration.