Returning praise to sender: How a community honored this UPS driver

Stock image. Photo by Rob Kim. (Getty Images)

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Heroes can come in all forms, and for one town in Virginia, a hero to the community has been a UPS driver.

Anthony Gaskin is a driver who has worked tirelessly through the pandemic, making deliveries that neighbors in Midlothian, Virginia have described as life-saving, according to WTRV in Richmond.

In an email to the news station, one neighbor, Patty Friedman, wrote about all the packages Gaskin has delivered to neighborhood doors.

In light of that, neighbors decided to put together a touching tribute to Gaskin, as a way to say thanks.

On Dec. 15, hundreds of residents lined a road and waited for Gaskin to turn the corner with his truck.

As Gaskin drove by, the residents held up signs praising him, honking their horns in cars that were parked alongside the road, shouting his name and ringing bells to show their appreciation.

Gaskin was also presented a gift by his supervisors.

Gaskin temporarily stopped to speak to the neighbors and thank them for their support. But true to form and his humble nature, he then went back to work to continue delivering needed packages.

“I wanted to thank him personally for how much he helped me feel welcome when I moved in during a pandemic,” Friedman said in the email to WTRV. “It was terribly lonely and he was always the highlight of my day. Mentioning this to a few people, ... the response I got was all I needed to know -- I was not alone.”


About the Author:

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.