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Good Samaritan lends a hand

LETTER: Resident forever grateful to Gentle Giant and Florence Nightingale
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Senior Lady in a Wheelchair Holding Hands with her Young Caretaker

On the morning after the first snow dump of November, I decided to venture downtown to run a few errands. After leaving the car, I shuffled through soggy snow turning to slush, slush turning to water, water turning to ice as I made my way to the building that was my goal. As I was about to step up on to the sidewalk, I heard a gruff voice calling out to me, “Don’t walk on that, Ma’am — it’s ice.” I looked down, and realized that the sidewalk was indeed covered with solid, transparent ice. I looked up to see a smiling giant of a young man coming towards me. He called out, “Here, let me help you.” He held out his arm, and I took it while he ushered me carefully to the building’s door.

When I was ready to leave, I asked if someone might be available to help me navigate the ice-covered sidewalk again, and this time a member of the staff came to my aid. The young woman did not put on a coat, but instead insisted on confronting the atrocious conditions with me, shivering with cold all the way to where my car was parked.

I don’t know you — “Gentle Giant” and latter day “Florence Nightingale” — but I want you both to know that you touched my life that day in a very special way, and I deeply appreciate your kindness and humanity. Thank you both.

Jo Jones, Vernon