From the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, most households have been reliant on UPS drivers to deliver their necessities, especially since many physical stores had closed their doors to the public.
The drivers put themselves and their families at risk to get those essentials delivered to millions of homes across the country and make the quarantine less strenuous for families.
One particular UPS delivery driver caught the attention of residents in Smithtown, Long Island, New York where he has been dropping packages off tirelessly both day and night.
For 25 years, Gregory Watkins Sr. has been working for UPS and he has spent the last thirteen of these years assigned to Long Island.
Didn’t he eventually get bored? Actually, it was the opposite for Watkins, who says he liked his job and the welcoming atmosphere of the community he’s been serving for more than a decade.
Recently, in a bid to help meet the pandemic demands, Watkins took on additional shifts which did not go unnoticed by the residents.
The residents were blown away by the father of four turning up six days every week and we’re moved to show their appreciation.
The fact that the busy driver always wore a smile, and went above and beyond to assist the customers, was the icing on the cake.
The residents huddled and came up with a surprise plan, which turned out to be just that, for the valuable UPS delivery driver.
The clueless driver reacted to a text message for assistance from one of the residents, but came upon a host of people converging on the roadway and vehicles lining the sidewalks.
He was unsure of whether to drive through the crowd, but his desire to fulfill the customer’s wishes outweighed his doubt and he slowly began driving towards the crowd.
What greeted him next made the driver gasp for air as residents began emerging from their vehicles with signs and loud cheers egging him on and showing their appreciation.
The driver questioned if what was going on was really to honor him. The doubts were quickly erased as he heard his name being chanted by the excited residents.
As he continued driving down the road, he saw the many signs with positive messages showing appreciation for his remarkable service.
Meanwhile a resident captured the entire event on camera, taking comments from multiple residents who openly thanked the driver.
The residents expressed that they know his family, which drove home the fact that they knew he was making a huge sacrifice since he has four children at home.
The dazzled driver regained his composure and decided to emerge from the vehicle where he was greeted with a barrage of gifts.
He explained to the grateful residents that it has been sheer enjoyment delivering to their community and being of assistance in whatever way possible.
He said watching how everyone evolved, including kids becoming adults or obtaining their drivers license was a part of the pleasure.
As Watkin thanked the residents and expressed what he observed over the last 13 years, he informed them that his tenure would end in two years.
There was a unanimous groan in response to the beloved driver’s statement, but that did not put a damper on the next few minutes as they continued to show their appreciation.
Overall, Watkins says he felt love and care exuded from the residents who even penned their thoughts.
He has been humbled by the gesture and plans to continue serving the community of Smithstown faithfully.
Many people do good but it doesn’t always come back the way they give it. In fact it comes back when they least expect it and that’s exactly what happened to this hardworking father of four.
