5-Year-Old’s ‘Refreshment Stop’ Shows Appreciation for FedEx, UPS Drivers
Kindergarten student Jack Mahar waits at the end of his driveway for delivery drivers to his Niskayuna, N.Y., neighborhood to offer them drinks or snacks in appreciation of their efforts as essential workers. (Courtesy of the Mahar family)
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Jack Mahar loves delivery trucks and the people who drive them.
The kindergartener at Hillside Elementary in Niskayuna, N.Y., had a delivery-themed fifth birthday party and one of the first words he learned to write was “UPS,” according to his mom, Amanda Mahar.
Jack has gotten to see a whole lot of UPS Inc., FedEx Corp. and USPS trucks these days. Like every student across the country, Jack’s home is now school. Couple that with the fact home deliveries have increased drastically as consumers rely heavily on internet shopping and he’s basically guaranteed to see one — or many — of his favorite trucks each afternoon.
Knowing how hard these drivers are working, thanks to conversations with his parents, Jack and his mom were inspired to do something to show their appreciation for these essential workers.
Special cupcakes to match Jack's interest were created for his fifth birthday. (Courtesy of the Mahar family)
“We watch the FedEx, UPS and USPS trucks on our street every day and I explained to Jack that delivery drivers were working extra hard during quarantine because people can’t go shopping as often,” Amanda says. “We decided to leave them a ‘thank you’ sign and some snacks outside our doorstep, but Jack took it a step further.”
The 5-year-old’s idea?
To set up a refreshment stand, of sorts, for delivery drivers.
“While I was inside making dinner, Jack set up the ‘stand’ at the end of our driveway. He brought the snacks down, his toy tractor and his folding chair. He put on his FedEx hat and sat himself down,” recalls his mom. “I looked out the window and couldn’t believe it. He sat for a full hour waiting for our first stop — from UPS — who was making deliveries on our street.”
Jack has now had stops from UPS, FedEx and USPS. (He and his mom did have to do a Target pick-up run to stock up on goodies for the stand.) He’s added FedEx and UPS envelopes to his display. When not part of his stand, this packaging material is part of his daily playtime where he pretends to be a delivery driver.
When FedEx learned of Jack's refreshment stop, it sent drivers and trucks out to his Niskayuna, N.Y., home to visit and let Jack and his family check out one of their trucks, below. (Courtesy of the Mahar family)
All the drivers have been so appreciative of the gesture, says Mahar. Jack was star-struck when they stopped and he proudly gave them their complimentary snack and drink. The drivers let them take a peek in the back of the truck and have posed for (socially distant, of course) pictures with the delivery-loving kid.
“Jack is committed to keeping the drivers fueled and has already talked about different items we can offer each day (cookies, candy, etc.),” Mahar says. “So I think we can count of making this a daily part of our quarantine.”
Jack and his father Shane welcome a UPS driver to their neighborhood. (Courtesy of the Mahar family)
Jack is often joined by his sister Emma, 3, as he waits for drivers to thank. (Courtesy of the Mahar family)
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