Ask Destinites:  Good People In Destin

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Fear not! There are still good people in this world and some of them are right here in Destin. This month in our private, Destinites Facebook group (www.Facebook.com/groups/Destinites), we had a member to place the following post.

Post:

“Looking to help those in need. I’m local and offering to help those who can’t afford to hire me. If you’re living in unsafe or dangerous conditions and can’t afford to do repairs, I’ll do my best to help you at no charge. I can’t afford large scale jobs or expensive materials. But, I will come and do whatever I can. Priority goes to the elderly or the disabled as well as single parents struggling to make ends meet. My hope is that others will see this and perhaps I can even find people to help with things I can’t do like plumbing and electrical jobs that require permits. Perhaps there’s a local supplier that’s willing to help with materials. So, if you’re a contractor or are handy and want to help me do this, just let me know. I’m hoping to help as many as I can. I do work and I’m a single dad, so my time is limited. But, I’m going to do my best. If you work with a local church group, are law enforcement or someone in public service and know who is in need, please reach out.

For those who want my help. Please know I won’t be asking questions about your personal situation and I won’t make assumptions or judge. Feel free to send me a private message if you don’t want to post here! I will just help you and ask for nothing in return. I only ask one thing – if you can afford to hire someone, then please don’t take my time away from someone that is truly in need.”

Was this guy for real making such an offer, in a group of almost 12,000 people? Much to my delight, yes, he was very sincere. I never know from one minute to the next what a member will post in our group, but this was seriously heartwarming. What made it even better was the overwhelming positive response it received. When I started the Destinites group nine years ago, it was an effort to bring the community together and posts like the one I just mentioned make it all worthwhile. The post touched the hearts of others so much that they began to reply with their own offers to help this man with his volunteer efforts. They volunteered not only their time, but also products and services. It was amazing to watch one reply after the other of people reaching out. It all rather reminded me of an old short story called Stone Soup. If you haven’t heard it, look it up. Read it to your children and grandchildren. It’s what life is all about.

If you are a Destin resident or in the close surrounding area, I invite you to join our private, targeted group for locals and property owners at Facebook.com/groups/Destinites with 11,600+ members (Est. Oct. 2018). Check out our local business directory at Destinites.com where 400+ local businesses are already listed.

By Patricia Lee, Owner Destinites.com

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