A Utah man made headlines last week after he decided to spend his Thanksgiving offering gift cards, pies, and gratitude to gas station attendants — men and women he honored for their hard work on the holiday.
Josh Downs told KSL-TV he got the idea during the 2020 holiday season. The kind concept was sparked after he met a gas station staffer who decided to spend Thanksgiving working so that others could be with their families.
“She had chosen to work because she couldn’t be with her family and friends and thought she would do that so that others could be,” Downs told the outlet.
Now, Downs could have simply gone on his way last year, smiling as he tucked away the worker’s kind deed in the back of his heart and mind, but he didn’t; he decided to pay it forward.
Downs went home, grabbed some Thanksgiving food and brought it back to the worker. It was a kind act that sparked an even bigger effort this year that he now calls #GiveThanksForGas.
Building upon last year’s solitary act of kindness, Downs upped the ante this year, fundraised $3,200, partnered with friends, and went around town on Thanksgiving to offer gratitude to gas station attendants who were working and unable to be with family.
He doled out gift cards, pies, and kind words. Watch it all unfold:
“I am going around to gas stations around the community, covering as many as I can, to deliver a little thank you to those who are working away from their family and friends so that we can go see ours,” Downs told KSL-TV, adding that he just wanted to “give back.”
Sometimes, it’s the simple and kind acts that have the most impact. We’ll leave you with some of the other reactions Downs got from those he surprised:
Read the full story on KSL-TV.
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***