Everyone in the world has been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It’s an unprecedented moment that has forced us all to adapt and react to changing circumstances.
While most people have been taking necessary common sense precautions, others are “panic buying,” rushing to stores and bulking up on supplies like toilet paper.
It’s an unnecessary action that has an unintended negative effect, causing shortages making it impossible for some people to get these supplies at all when they really need them.
One man saw in person how this hurt one of society’s most vulnerable people—and he stepped up to make things right.
A man named Adam Lucas shared a story of a recent shopping encounter. On March 13 he was at CVS picking up a few things, and saw the rush of shoppers trying to get supplies.
Then, he saw an elderly man come into the store, looking exhausted and defeated. He was so tired he didn’t even browse the store—he simply asked an employee if they had any toilet paper.
He said he needed it for himself and his sick wife. Sadly, the CVS employee told him that they were out and wouldn’t have it in supply til next week.
The news broke the old man—it’s clear that he had been searching everywhere for this and it was wearing him out.
“The poor man looked like he was on the brink of tears,” Adam wrote.
Instead of letting the old man go home empty handed, Adam did something inspiring: he offered to help the old man find some toilet paper.
And since the man looked so tired, he even offered to go get it himself and deliver it to his home.
“I hadn’t thought about the ripple effects of all of this until then,” Adam told Love What Matters. “I didn’t really think much about extending my offer, it seemed like the human thing to do. I could tell he wasn’t sure what to say or whether to accept.”
But the man accepted the stranger’s help, and as Adam walked him to his car, he saw how long it took for him to walk, making it hard to imagine what he had gone through on his shopping quest. And at the car, he saw the man’s wife hooked up to an oxygen tank.
After getting the man’s contact info and address, Adam began his search to buy toilet paper for the elderly couple. This proved to be far more difficult than he imagined, taking over an hour across several stores.
It hit home how impossible this task would’ve been for the old man, and how disastrous the effects of over-buying supplies can be.
“Remember this when you’re hoarding all of these products and remember to check on and make sure that those who have a harder time providing for themselves have everything they need to make it through the day,” he wrote on Facebook.
He delivered the supply to the couple, who were extremely grateful. Adam even agreed to continue to buy groceries for them, as leaving the house poses a health risk for them.
“Now, more than ever, we need to look out for one another, especially those who already have a hard time just providing the things they need to make it through the day,” he told Love What Matters.
“All the love and kindness I have received because of this really reminds me that simple kindness can really change the world.”
During this difficult, uncertain time, we all need to be kind and help people in need. Share this inspiring story!
