RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Joyce Brown believes helping others is in her DNA.
“It’s just part of what I do,” she said.
For nearly 20 years, Brown has helped students in Richmond get to and from school as a bus driver. But, during the pandemic, her roles shifted. Instead of transporting students, she began delivering meals to schools around the city as part of the meal distribution effort.
One day, Brown said as she was making her rounds, she noticed an elderly lady walking to get her grandchildren’s meals from the school. Her name was Evelyn Bullock.
“I’m 80 years of age,” said Bullock. “That’s quite a walk from Carver Elementary School back down here.”
It’s about a 30-minute walk, so for an 80-year-old, it was no easy task.
“I am a two time cancer survivor. I also have arthritis and I fall a lot,” she said.
That’s when Brown stepped in to help. She pulled over her bus and picked Bullock up. From there, she decided to bring Bullock breakfast and lunch for her grandchildren everyday to save her from that 30-minute walk.
“She thanks me so much and tries to offer me gifts, but I don’t want gifts,” Brown said.
The true gift for her is knowing that her actions are making a difference in someone else’s life.
“She told me one day that when I get to heaven, the crown that God has for me will be too big for my head. I understand what she means now… she really appreciates what I do for her,” Brown said.
“I never expected it. It’s like God just poured it out,” Bullock said. “She’s just a blessing to me and I think she is just an awesome person.”
