‘This shows who they are’: Deputies buy van for woman who walked miles to work
‘This shows who they are’: Deputies buy van for woman who walked miles to work
Christine Wheeler’s daily routine got a lot easier after she was gifted a free van for the holidays by sheriff’s deputies who saw her walking miles to work to support her family. (Credit: Franklin County Sheriff's Office)
OTTAWA, Kan. - Christine Wheeler no longer has to walk miles to work to feed her children after sheriff’s deputies who saw her struggle gifted her a van earlier this month.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office posted the kind act on its Facebook page.
According to the post, several people called the office about a woman walking on the side of the 59 Highway in the mornings.
"Each time Deputies responded they encountered a 24-year-old Princeton woman walking and would give her a ride to work so she would not have to walk on the cold highway," the post read.
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On Dec. 9, deputies brainstormed about how they could help her. They solicited donations from residents, businesses and pulled funds from their "No Shave November" campaign to raise awareness about men’s health issues.
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Deputies used the money to buy and donate a van with two new car seats, a grocery store gift card, vehicle registration, the first year of car insurance and an extra $200 to Wheeler.
On Dec. 15, deputies surprised the woman and captured it on video.
"Oh my God, thank you!" Wheeler exclaimed as she walked to the van. "Oh my God, I love it!"
Sheriff Jeff Richards gave a special shoutout to his deputies for coming up with the idea.
"This is not just something they did, this shows who they are," Richards wrote in the post. "I am proud of who they are! This is an example of their commitment to serve our community."
This story was reported from Los Angeles.