BOX ELDER COUNTY – By Cari Doutre – March 23, 2020
Kindness is spreading throughout the Bear River Valley in a time of worry and fear for many members of the community. Making sure others are taken care of, many people have performed random acts of kindness or service, taken to social media to offer help, while others are going above and beyond to provide accommodations for the community.
We've heard stories of bus drivers with the school district making special stops to hand out meals to local children, teachers and faculty members at local schools working tirelessly to accommodate students' needs and grocery store workers stocking shelves late into the night. But we know there's more stories out there.
During this time when many of us are staying home to prevent further spreading of COVID-19 (coronavirus), now more than ever we need to hear the good and positive things happening in our community. Let's spread kindness and cheer (without the germs and viruses), and brighten up each other's lives.
To share your experiences with community kindness, or words of gratitude, during the COVID-19 shutdown, email us at: valleyheadliner@gmail.com
We would love to hear from you!
"LOCAL BUSINESSES SPREADING KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY"
Dawneen Marshall, owner of Bowcutt’s Floral and Gifts in Tremonton, gave away over a hundred flowers on Friday, March 20, to anybody that stopped by. Marshall handed out flowers to those in vehicles just to “spread joy and hoping this helps put some smiles on some faces,” she said. “Grab one for you and pass one along. Let’s spread some cheer!”
Bowcutt’s Floral and Gifts continued to spread joy and cheer to the community. They also sent flowers with Meals on Wheels drivers to bring to senior citizens in the community.
“The support we get from this little town is amazing and it takes all of us to help each other out and get through these times,” Marshall added. Story continues below...
Kent’s Market in Tremonton made a special request to the community on Tuesday, March 17, to allow those most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) an opportunity to purchase groceries, supplies and prescription medications. The store also opened their pharmacy one hour earlier than usual, 8 a.m., for those shoppers.
“We plan to remain open for our regular hours, however, we would ask that you reserve the time from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. each morning to allow our senior citizen guests to visit our store when it is slower and give us an opportunity to help them meet their shopping needs,” Kent’s posted.
“We will not be placing a specific age limit on shoppers. We simply ask that community members that are able to please choose to shop after 9 a.m. and allow those members of our community who may need extra help to shop from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. while it is slower and we can provide them with some extra service, if needed,” Kent’s posted.
"RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS"
On Friday, March 20, during the afternoon people were spotted standing above the I-15 overpass in Honeyville (in the rain) holding a sign thanking truckers for their hard work during the COVID-19 shutdown and providing supplies, food and more to stores and communities.
If anyone snapped a picture of this, we would love to post it!
“While shopping at Walmart in Brigham City today, I stopped at the spice shelves and was annoyed because standing right in front of them was a family that included a mother and three children. I was unable to find the lemon pepper, and I just blurted out, "Has anyone seen the lemon pepper?" The mother answered that she had not, and the kids turned their attention to the shelf. I grabbed some salt and moved down the aisle. As my husband and I walked back up the aisle, I passed the family and the mother stopped me. She called to her daughter, "Show her where the lemon pepper is," and the little girl led me straight to it. There are several lessons to be learned from that encounter, not the least about kindness. We then stopped at the Brigham Smith's in search of vinegar. There was one small bottle on the shelves which we grabbed. A woman stocking the shelves said, ‘There were only two bottles of vinegar this morning and a woman came in, initially grabbed both, then put one back saying, ‘I'll leave one for the next person.’ To both the family and the woman who left the vinegar, you have a big thanks from me. To all of us, their actions are a lesson in kindness. Please pay it forward.” – Marcia Wendorf
“I walked into Ridley’s in Tremonton after going to the dollar store and Family Dollar looking for a glass scrubber. I found one at Ridley’s and got me a can of Starbucks coffee and a donut on Saturday, March 14. As I was checking out, the guy in front of me asked, ‘how is your day.’ I said pretty good and said ‘how is yours?’ He said it is not snowing and I’m not sick and I’m about to make your day a lot better because I’m paying for all of your stuff. I admit, I was in a little shock.
I said thank you and it really did make my day great. It is people like this who are amazing, and I hope he knows how appreciative I was. Especially when people are at a frantic state over this COVID-19 going around. I will pay it forward sometime.” – Collette Bindrup
"SHARING THE GIFT OF A HEALTHY MEAL"
Jenifer Macfarlane captured these pictures at Fielding Elementary School this week showing school faculty members providing meals to local children during the COVID-19 shutdown. Teriann Hanks from North Park Elementary School in Tremonton snapped a few pictures of their hard working cafeteria staff.
Elementary schools throughout Box Elder County are providing hot breakfast and lunch in to-go bags for children 18 and under. Bus drivers in the district are delivering cold breakfast and lunches in to-go bags to every bus stop in the county, Monday through Friday. All meals are free for children.
For a feature story published on Thursday, March 19, by The Valley Headliner at BRVNEWS, click HERE: FEATURE - "Delivering kindness and nutrition to local students"
