CLAYTON, Mo. — A longtime United Parcel Service driver from Missouri was surprised by more than 60 of her customers, who gave her a check to buy a new roof.
Residents and their dogs gathered to surprise Carolyn Crump, a UPS employee for 23 years who has been working the Clayton route for the past six years, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
“If I’d known this was happening, I would have brought the whole canister (of dog treats),” Crump told the newspaper.
Crump was holding a check that also said “Happy Birthday,” in honor of her birthday on Monday.
Several weeks ago, Crump learned that Jason Lehtman knew someone at a roofing company, KTVI reported. She mentioned in passing that she was going to need to replace the 30-year-old roof on her house because it had been leaking, the television station reported.
Carolyn Crump, a United Parcel Service driver from St. Louis, was surprised Friday by more than 60 of her customers — and their dogs — with a check for a new roof. https://t.co/UUo2KYu4pH
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@stltoday) December 19, 2020
After learning how much the repairs would cost, Crump said she would be able to pay for the repairs in about six months.
Lehtman sprang into action, setting up a GoFundMe page and raising several thousand dollars in two days, the Post-Dispatch reported. More than $11,000 was raised.
“Every single person can give you a story where (Crump has) gone above and beyond, like bringing up groceries when someone’s arm was broken,” Lehtman told the newspaper. “She’s got a heart of gold. The day before we had to put our dog down, I found her in our foyer saying her goodbyes to our dog. That’s the type of person she is.”
On Friday afternoon, Crump’s supervisors, who were on board with the surprise, sent her to pick up a package that did not exist from a Clayton home, KTVI reported. When she arrived, residents blindfolded her and walked over to a neighborhood park, where she was met by her daughter and dozens of friends, the television station reported.
That is where Crump was presented with a check.
“She’s just kind, she’s humble, I don’t think she even realizes the impact she has on people, she’s always smiling,” Christie Pickrell, who helped organize the surprise, told KTVI.
Crump’s supervisor, Jane Strini, also showed up for the surprise, the Post-Dispatch reported.
“During this time it’s just nice to see a community come together, as well as just recognition for her. You couldn’t ask for anything better,” Strini told the newspaper. “She is a definite UPSer -- that’s her.”
“It’s easy to have a positive attitude when you know how blessed you are to just have a job, especially during a pandemic,” Crump told the Post-Dispatch. “I love online shoppers. I should get a bumper sticker that says that on my car. They don’t sign my check, but they definitely supply the materials for it.”
Crump was grateful for the check, but there was still work to be done. She handed the check to her daughter and finished her route, delivering her final 20 packages, the newspaper reported.
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