Helping Hands Emerge in Brooklyn Park After Largest Snowfall of Season
The aftermath of a big snowstorm can mean different things for different people.
For kids on an e-learning day, they can spend time sledding at the park.
A longtime postal carrier in Brooklyn Park, on the other hand, had a different take.
“It’s more of a challenge,” said Wayne Witry, the postal carrier. “Wet heavy snow, walking through it. We haven’t made our paths yet and people haven’t been out to shovel, so it’s a workout.”
Things weren’t going much better for Tyla Phouybanhdyt. She got her car stuck at the corner of Zane Avenue and Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Park.
“I didn’t want to ram into the car in front of me, and they weren’t yielding quick enough,” said Phouybanhdyt. “So, I pulled up a little bit onto the curb and it’s so slushy that I couldn’t brake fast enough, so I had to literally pull off to the side and now I’m stuck.”
She eventually got her car unstuck thanks to the kindness of strangers.
Tyla Phouybanhdyt’s car stuck at the intersection of Brooklyn Boulevard and Zane Avenue.
When folks are in a jam, the spirit of “Minnesota Nice” can indeed shine. Just ask Henry Van Dellen of Brooklyn Park. At 87 years old, he cleared out his neighbor’s driveway, simply because he can.
“Well it’s the way, it’s the best way,” Van Dellen said. “‘Cause it makes you feel good, both you and the one you’re helping.”
The person he’s helping is 80-year-old Eileen Stolp, who lives across the street.
“Well, that’s the way Minnesota is, you know,” Stolp said. “We’re Minnesota Nice, so we all help each other. You know, he uses my compost barrel in the summer and we just share.”
Sharing, after all, is caring. And a little effort goes a long way to help others go about their day.
Even if you’re pushing 90.
“Don’t ever stop. Keep going,” Van Dellen said about why he stays active. “So if I can get to 90, I’m gonna go more.”
Henry Van Dellen, 87, of Brooklyn Park helps to clear his neighbor’s driveway.
Related: Halloween Snowfall Downs Power Lines, Starts Plymouth Home on Fire
