Let’s face it; life keeps getting more challenging. Some days, nothing seems to be going right, and you’re left feeling helpless. And when that happens, you don’t always know when to snap out of worrying; sometimes, your thoughts consume you. That’s why it’s a blessing to be around people who genuinely care for your well-being and won’t hesitate to step in in hopes of making things easier for you.
90-year-old Orelia Diaz was living on a fixed income and could only afford the bare essentials.
She had quite a day when she realized the water heater in her home had stopped working. On top of that, she also realized there was a busted gas line and water pipe.
Fortunately, her cousin, Shirley Garcia, knew what to do. She reached out to a local plumber in hopes of saving money on repairs. She told Action 4 News,
“I picked him out of the phone book instead of calling a big company.”
Robert Toney of R.V. Toney’s Plumbing showed up shortly after.
First, he installed a new water heater – free of charge – when he discovered that the one that broke was beyond repairs. He also fixed the gas and water line leaks for free.
Shirley was beyond grateful for the man’s kindness. This led her to the idea to pay it forward through the news channel’s Pay It 4ward program, which allows viewers to nominate individuals who are either struggling or have made an incredible impact in their community. The chosen ones will then receive $400.
Robert Toney was not expecting to be on the receiving end of such a wonderful surprise.
When he walked into Orelia’s home, Shirley greeted him,
“Hello, Mr. Toney! You don’t know why we called, but come on in.”
He didn’t think much of it at first, then got shocked when he saw the crew of Action 4 News in the room.
He was in disbelief when they filled him in on what was happening. Shirley was more than happy to explain further.
“Not very many people are so kind, and for a person with a fixed income, it means so much to us that you were there for her. On behalf of FNB Insurance and Action 4 News, I’m here to Pay It 4Ward.”
Then, she took out $400 and began to put the bills in Robert’s hands.
Ryan Wolf of Action 4 asked the plumber about how he felt.
“I felt at the time like God directed me to help her, and that’s what we told her to begin with.”
He also added that his faith leads the way. While it’s his aim for the family-run business to earn consistently, he makes sure not to pursue income at the expense of those in need. He says it’s an excellent way to live; you sleep well at night knowing you care about somebody other than yourself.
Seeing the look of surprise on Robert’s face, Karen Gonzalez, a spokesperson for the company, explained,
“The Pay It 4ward program is all about providing good citizenship, and you are the perfect example of that. That’s why we’re so happy that the community will be able to hear your story and hopefully are inspired by it.”
On top of what the selfless plumber did for Orelia, he also plans to use a portion of his money to help more people in need.
Kudos to you, Robert, for being a force for good!
Watch the video below to see how the surprise unfolded.
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