Random acts of kindness
Intended wedding day made extra special
On what was supposed to be our wedding day — June 27, 2020 — my fiance and I, intent on still enjoying the day, ventured out to dinner with a bottle of our homemade wine.
The wine had specifically been made by us and my father and brothers for this day. But instead of having our special wedding wine with around 300 of our closest friends and families at the Pennsylvanian in Downtown Pittsburgh, we enjoyed the wine while dining outside at Piccolo Forno (BYOB) in Lawrenceville.
We had made custom labels for the wine with our photos and wedding date on it, and the attentive staff noticed the date and put two and two together. Everyone at Piccolo Forno could not have been nicer, and we had the best time and meal.
At the end of the meal, an employee presented us with a gift card to pay for dinner. The gift card had been sent to the restaurant by an anonymous person at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in an attempt to help small businesses and to pay it forward. The employee had held on to it since April, not knowing exactly who to give it to, but she said she knew this is exactly what she was waiting for.
June 27, 2020, ended up being pretty special after all.
NICK TOLOMEO and KAJSA SIEWCZAK
South Side
Generosity shines through pandemic
It has been more than four months since COVID-19 changed many things for all of us in Pittsburgh. One thing it did not change was the kindness and generosity of the people.
As the manager of the Bread of Life Food Pantry in Etna, the board and staff made the decision to stay open and help families in need.
We worried about how we would feed the increasing number of families who came to us for help. There was never a moment the people in the surrounding communities of this food pantry would let us worry.
The donations, both monetary and food items from the people — many of whom were anonymous — were most generous. Each week, money and food were delivered to us by the mayor of Etna and the volunteers at the All Saints Church dropoff center.
I was actually taken aback by the generosity of the people and want everyone to know how much I appreciated their kindness and generosity. What a beautiful gift to those in need.
Finally, to the handful of volunteers at the food pantry who valiantly worked numerous hours to help Bread of Life fulfill its mission, my heartfelt thanks.
You are, indeed, profiles in courage.
ALEXIS K. WEBER, RN
Etna
Has someone done you right? Send your Random Act of Kindness to page2@post-gazette.com, or write to Portfolio, Post-Gazette, 358 North Shore Drive, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.