Westerly Good Samaritans Enter Snow Business For Worthy Cause

WESTERLY, RI — This week’s nor’easter didn’t stop two Rhode Islanders from bundling up and clearing off the cars of front-line medical professionals at Westerly Hospital who came outside to find they wouldn't need to worry about the snow after a long day of work.

Westerly residents Abbey Meeker and 10-year-old Christian Stone took on the good Samaritan parking lot duties this week when the pair cleared an estimated 80 cars of nurses and other hospital workers during this week's snowstorm. According to WJAR News, the idea to help the health care workers was Christian’s, who decided he wanted to be of assistance to those providing medical care to others during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

So Monday afternoon, Meeker and Christian went to work. While the hospital’s parking lots were tended to by a professional plowing service, the two local residents removed snow and ice from hospital workers’ cars. What started with 20 cleaned cars soon turned into 50, and the number kept building as the snow continued to pile up.

“I was thinking they’ve been helping us a lot through this whole pandemic, and I figured why don’t we help them, you know?” Christian told WJAR. “All day, every day, the nurses here, they deal with the pandemic like COVID and they want to get home from work, and so we thought we would make it a tiny bit easier for them by cleaning off their cars for them.”

Meeker told the television station she’s not a big fan of the snow. But she helped Christian out because the snow-clearing act of goodwill is something he has been passionate about. She said the response of nurses and others who came out to find their cars cleared off made dealing with the winter blast all worth the effort.

“It’s been cold but extremely fun seeing how happy they get,” Meeker told WJAR. “Some of them say, ‘Thank you so much’ and I’m just happy to see them so happy.”

For Christian, just knowing he could help workers who are in the business of helping others was all part of the plan.

“I feel like I actually helped someone out, and that’s a really good feeling when you know someone has been helped out,” Christian told the station. “We want them to be able to go home and see their family after a long day of work.”