When Eric Akers of Prineville, Oregon, realized that his car had broken down, he didn’t call in sick. Although his work was 33 miles away from home, he decided to wake up earlier than early and walk for 6.5 hours to be at work on time.
Not many people would have done it if they were in his shoes, but Eric explains that he likes his job and he didn’t want to give it up.
“I like my job, I like the people I work with, and I’m willing to do what it takes to get the job done,” he told Central Oregon Daily News.
And, although at first, he tried to get a ride, he soon realized that this wouldn’t work, so he kept walking.
His story soon was picked up by a local news outlet, and Eric was given the opportunity to share his inspiring story with the world.
The message of his story, if you really want to achieve something, then try to be as dedicated as possible and never give up.
Indeed, a couple that read Eric’s story was more than touched by what he did. So, they decided to do something to help him, encourage him, and show him that there are still people out there who care about their fellow citizens.
“I think, especially in today’s time, we need to help people. We need to help our neighbors,” Chris Arsenault said.“It’s a rough time. People are divided and so I wanted to help him.”
So, he and his wife decided they had more cars than they really needed. A 1997 Honda was not really a car that they used, so they thought it was a good idea to gift it to a man who walks 33 miles to work.
Without wasting any time, Chris took care of all the documents needed in order for the car to be transferred to Eric, making sure that the man wouldn’t have to pay anything.
Eventually, the time came for the two men to meet.
“I bought this car from my uncle. My aunt bought it brand new in ’97,” Chris told Eric when they first met. “It’s a clean little car. My wife and I want to give you that car.”
Eric didn’t know what to say. He kept repeating that he felt so blessed for the man’s act, and that he was grateful.
“He just handed me the paperwork for the car and told me it’s mine,” Eric said. “The kindness and generosity of the community has been overwhelming,” he added.
Indeed, what Chris and his wife did for a complete stranger only because they were inspired by his unusual story is much more than the man could have expected.
Let’s just hope that there are many people like them out there ready to help people who are in need of support.
Watch Chris and Eric meet and talk about this special story in the video below.
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