Bobby discovered that his neighbor, Mrs. Killinger, needed a wheelchair to get around, but she didn’t have the money for it, so he decided to put ads around the neighborhood looking for work. Fortunately, his neighbors helped, but it was not enough, and suddenly, something remarkable happened.

“Why are we bringing groceries for Mrs. Killinger?” Bobby asked his mother, Anna, as they walked back from the supermarket with a few extra bags for their elderly neighbor. He enjoyed helping his mother with these tasks, but they had never bought anything for any neighbor, so he decided to ask when they approached her house.

Bobby saw that the front yard of Mrs. Killinger’s house had overgrown grass, and the mailbox was full. He realized his mother was right, and that the older woman needed help.

“Honey, Mrs. Killinger is now having trouble walking around, so I offered to bring her some things from the market,” Anna explained as they climbed up the wooden steps to Mrs. Killinger’s house and rang the doorbell.

“Bobby, what’s wrong? Did we get a package?” Anna asked, walking over to him in concern.

“Oh, but she could get a wheelchair and move around,” the boy commented as if it was the most straightforward solution in the world. Several kids at his school used wheelchairs and seemed to live normally.

“It’s not so easy adapting to a wheelchair at an older age, honey. And also, Mrs. Killinger doesn’t have the money to buy one right now. They can get expensive,” Anna explained, and Bobby pursed his lips in thought.

Mrs. Killinger answered the door, smiled, and invited them for some coffee and cookies. Bobby noticed how slowly she moved, and an idea formed in his mind. He told the older woman and his mother all about it, and they grinned at him indulgently. Neither of them thought Bobby would do it.

That’s why Anna was surprised the following day when Bobby had made several ads. “Mom, can you add your phone number here, so people can call me with work?”

“Oh, honey. This is very sweet. But I don’t know if it’ll be enough to raise the money she needs,” Anna explained. She loved that her son had such a big heart, but he didn’t want him to be heartbroken if no one called or he couldn’t raise the money.

“Well, at least, I can say that I tried to help,” Bobby chirped with his bright smile and eager eyes. Anna nodded and added her phone number to the ads. She also checked his spelling to ensure others understood what he was offering.

In his ad, Bobby offered his “services” which included helping with shopping, mowing lawns, keeping company, and walking dogs. He also left the price of his services to the neighbor’s discretion, which made Anna smile. He honestly just wanted to help.

“Let’s go hang them up!” he cheered, grabbed his mother’s hand, and went outside.

Anna helped him put up the ads around the neighborhood, which was a suburban area of Utah. People were pretty nice, but she didn’t know if anyone would take Bobby up on his offer.

When they finished and returned home, Anna started receiving calls from her friends, who asked about the ads. She explained everything to them, including that Mrs. Killinger needed a new wheelchair, and that’s why Bobby wanted to do these gigs.

Fortunately, many people started hiring Bobby, who was delighted. He walked Mr. Cotton’s dog every afternoon after school, mowed Mrs. Gillis’ yard, and helped her plant new flowers, and Mr. Francis hired him to carry his groceries. He also helped Mrs. Killinger with the tasks she needed, but that was for free.

Bobby was in high spirits, but after two weeks of working, he was not even close to the goal. Anna had helped him search for a wheelchair, which was almost $500.

“Mom, what else can I do?”





“Honey, earning money is hard. That’s why your dad is always away. But I’m so proud of you. I’m going to call some people and see if they need more work. I’ll contribute too. We can do this.” Anna tried to comfort him and picked up her phone. “Oh, but go. You need to walk Mr. Cotton’s dog.”

“Oh, right!” Bobby quickly jumped up, put on his jacket, and opened the front door. But Anna turned to him when the door didn’t close. Bobby was standing there looking at the floor, and suddenly, he leaned down.

“Bobby, what’s wrong? Did we get a package?” Anna asked, walking over to him in concern.

“MOM! It’s an envelope with money! Oh my god! I think this might be enough for the wheelchair!” Bobby exclaimed, his mouth wide and his eyes bright with delight. He gave the envelope to Anna, who was frowning.

“Well, it’s more than enough, Bobby, but…” she hesitated, turning the envelope around to check for a returning address or some clue. There was nothing. “I don’t think we can keep it. We don’t know who put it there.”

“It had to be a neighbor! Someone wanted to help too!” the little boy insisted, nodding at his mother. But Anna shook her head, and Bobby suddenly raised his finger like a cartoon character with an idea. “Let’s check the camera!”

Anna smiled at her son because he was so smart. It was the easiest solution, so she grabbed her phone and pulled up the app with the footage of her Ring camera. She checked for any movement since they got home in the last few hours.

It was Mr. Finnegan. A new neighbor across the street that people had yet to meet officially. He dropped the envelope on the floor and returned to his house. Anna had to know why and if he had meant to do this, so she grabbed Bobby’s hand, and they went together. At the very least, they had to thank him for such a generous gift.





Mr. Finnegan was chagrined that they had caught him on camera, as he didn’t want to draw any praise or acknowledgment for trying to help out. But Anna still wanted to thank him.

“You did something for a complete stranger. Why?” Anna asked, smiling at her neighbor. Bobby was smiling standing right beside her.

“Well, your young son is working to raise that money himself even when he doesn’t want to. Why do we help out others in need? It’s out of goodness. A desire to see a better world, I guess,” Mr. Finnegan explained, shrugging his shoulders. “And well, I thought it would be a great way to break the ice with the neighbors I haven’t met. My wife and I are not the most social people, and I thought it was a good idea.”

Anna smiled at Mr. Finnegan and invited him and his wife to dinner that night. She also invited Mrs. Killinger so that they could all meet. A few days later, they presented their elderly neighbor with a wheelchair, making her cry at the kindness.

From then on, Bobby understood that giving and doing good for others was better than receiving anything. He also understood the value of hard work and how difficult it was to earn money, so he never took anything he had for granted.

What can we learn from this story?

Kindness is contagious and can lead to great friendships. Bobby’s kindness inspired their new neighbor to do something generous, too; that way, he also broke the ice with his neighbors.
It’s vital to teach kids the value of hard work and money. The little boy learned how hard it was to earn enough money and how everyone had to work for everything they got.





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