“Never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.”
– Unknown author
Many people across the globe have come under pressure due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 lockdown. Family, friends and neighbors find themselves without jobs and furloughed – unable to pay bills and purchase day-to-day essentials.
Louis Goffinet, a 26 year old science teacher for 8th graders at Lebanon Middle School (LMS), Mansfield decided to deliver groceries for an elderly couple who were concerned about going to the store themselves. He has been helping furloughed parents and those that cannot work due to medical reasons.
On April 15th, he started his day by going to the stores at 10am and returned at 6pm with all the items procured. This day, a total of nine trips were made for those people who could not or did not want to go to crowded spaces: grocery stores.
This was done out of compassion – he takes no money. On some occasions, people have given him $10-15, as a gesture for his time and car fuel.
Talking to VGood.News, he mentions that his parents are his role models: “I grew up with parents who had very little when I was young. Nevertheless, they would often make sacrifices to help people they felt were even more in need than they were. Giving food to strangers, or money to those in need. This fundraiser is definitely the result of a family focus on giving back.”
Reaching out to others
His plan was to help his friends and neighbors. With a number of requests coming in, he quickly realised that this may be an issue throughout Mansfield. He decided to take requests by posting his services on the Mansfield Community Connection Facebook page.
On Facebook, he was able to raise $2500 in a few days. The money helped three families that had no source of income for their groceries and bills. This money also helped an elderly man who was caring for his wife and two teenage sons, whom he gave groceries that would last at least 2 weeks. By 28nd April, he was able to raise that figure to over $1.3 million with the help of over 290 donations.
We are growing!
You can help us too:
– Spread the good news by sharing this article with others who may appreciate it.
– Follow us on Instagram.
– We’d love to know what you think; comment down below (or contact us).
Each day for him varies. He can take up to 10 requests for a day, spending “roughly 12 hours shopping and delivering around town,” he says.
Taking all precautions necessary; he wears a medical grade mask and gloves, and also uses a hand sanitiser, saying that, “I’m not too worried.”
While shopping for groceries, Mr. Goffinet came across a mother and son pair in Walmart, who were discussing items they needed to purchase “with a very clear budget in mind,” he writes on Facebook. He watched them from a distance, noticing their nearly empty cart. He continues, “when they were alone in an aisle, I approached them and let them know that our fundraiser was going to give her a gift card that would be more than enough to cover her groceries. A few tears of joy and relief were shed! She wanted me to extend her sincere thank you to everyone who has been a part of this!!!”
Inspiration for others
Several of Mr. Goffinet’s students have been inspired by his actions. Jennifer Gileau wrote on Facebook, “Thank you Mr. Goffinet for this wonderful thing you are doing for your community. My niece is in your science class at LMS and I’m so happy that she has someone like you to set such an amazing example!” Some students have started sewing masks, some sending cards of encouragement, while others are growing vegetables for neighbors.
For those people that want to help during trying times, Mr. Goffinet advises “start with a realistic and attainable goal. For me, I started with an initial goal to just buy one family’s groceries, and now, 12 days later, I’ve raised over $16,000! When I started I would have never dreamt I could possibly raise this much money, and would probably have felt overwhelmed at the thought of it. But each time I reached a slightly higher goal, I raise my goal again, and keep going.”
Recently, being conscious of how asking for help can be difficult for some community members, Mr. Goffinet has created a ‘Grocery Assistance Request’ form using Google Docs in order to streamline the requests into one platform.
Writing on the Facebook page, he said, “stay tuned and keep sharing please! If you, or someone you know, is in need of assistance due to the crisis – please PM me!”
If possible, please support Mr. Goffinet and the community here;
