Community Blessings – Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Sergeant Carrie Carver

This year, one of the things I am thankful for is that community kindness is still alive and well in Lane County, and Creswell is a great example of this. I still remember the wide eyed surprise I felt when I was assigned to work in Creswell and was greeted by people with smiles, waves, and handshakes. I learned then that many families in Creswell have been in the area for generations, which speaks volumes about the people and the kindness of the community.
I was again reminded of the small town charm and kindness during the 4th of July parade this year in Creswell. I sat three rows back with my family as the floats passed by. The people on the floats were dressed in bright colors and many of them were throwing handfuls of candy out onto the sidewalks for the eager kiddos to scoop up.
Towards the end of the parade, I noticed one young boy, probably 4 or 5 years old, standing in the front row. As candy was thrown from each of the passing floats, the young boy would make a run towards a piece of candy he had his eye on only to be a second too late as the older and faster children reached the candy first. A moment later, I saw an elderly man several feet from the young boy reach down and grab an unclaimed piece of candy that had landed near his chair. The man stood up and walked over to the young boy and got down on one knee, and opened his hand, offering the young boy the prize he had been chasing almost the entire parade.
I’ll never forget the smile on that boy’s face, and I think about it often how an act of kindness had such a big impact on this young man. For this reason, and because of so many acts of kindness that I have been lucky to have witnessed or have been a part of, I am thankful for community kindness.
— Sergeant Carrie Carver, Lane County Sheriff’s Office