Once upon a time, on one of the coolest blocks in Baltimore City, a group of neighbors came together to show their thanks and to bring a little joy to someone’s day.
A message was circulated that Miss Jenny, a very kind soul and a very good Catholic, had been nominated to win a bouquet of locally grown flowers. Miss Jenny is one of the first people anyone meets when they move onto the block and is gracious enough to collect all the UPS and FedEx packages for residents. She has been taking care of her husband, Mr. Ed, for years. He is wheelchair-bound and recently had a stroke as well as undergoing some other medical complications.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful, thought the block, if Miss Jenny could win these beautiful flowers and know how appreciated she is?
Minutes after the message about the contest was sent out, responses came tumbling in. “What a great idea. I just put in my vote,” said one neighbor. “I just voted 20 times,” said another. Even people living on nearby streets cast their votes.
After Miss Jenny was declared the overwhelming winner for the month of August by Ellen from Local Color Flowers, all were filled with joy.
“I think this was great,” said neighbor Matt. “She does so much for our street and Mr. Ed. She is a modern-day hero.”
Matt has volunteered to take Miss Jenny to doctor appointments on several occasions.
“This is great,” echoed another neighbor, Julie, who has driven Miss Jenny to Mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church.
While this story may seem like a modern-day fairytale, it is in fact very true and brought a very real sense of joy to a very deserving and faithful woman. It shows how neighbors do care and do matter and how a simple “thank you” can make such a difference.
Shortly after receiving the surprise flowers, Miss Jenny spoke of how she bought raffle tickets through Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Brigid as well as the Grunwald (Polish) Club and other locations. “I’ve never even won $25,” she said, “but knowing how everyone voted for me to get these flowers and reading what everyone said is worth so much more to me.”
To see a video of Miss Jenny receiving her flowers, visit: https://tinyurl.com/MissJennyflowers