12/17/2025
đź’› FIFTEEN LETTERS. ONE LOVING DONOR. ENDLESS HOPE. đź’›
Today, I had the honor of sending 15 heartfelt letters to a very loving donor from Farmington Michigan, who generously gave $1,000 to The Calumet Free Fridge right here in Calumet, MI.
Calumet Free Fridge
Each letter carried a real story… real gratitude… and real miracles happening every single day because of kindness like theirs. These were voices of neighbors, families, and individuals who found food, dignity, and hope when they needed it most.
I felt it was so important for this donor to truly see the impact of their generosity — not just in numbers, but in changed lives. Hope is alive. Miracles are happening. And they are happening because people care.
Thank you to every donor, volunteer, and community member who continues to believe in love, compassion, and looking out for one another. đź’•
The Calumet Free Fridge is more than food — it is HOPE.
Calumet Free Fridge
Letter One......
The Man at the Door
As I was sorting through a new batch of donations at the Office Shop, a man opened the door. It was around 9:30 in the morning.
He was in complete distress, tears running down his face. I said, “Can I help you?”
He told me that he had heard about the Office Shop and what happens here. Then, with his voice breaking, he said that his brother had just passed away.
He took a few steps toward me, and I went to meet him. Without a word, we hugged and cried together for about five minutes, two strangers sharing a moment of deep sorrow and connection.
When the tears slowed, we walked around the store together for about half an hour. I asked him about his brother, what he was like, what he remembered most. He shared stories, and I listened.
When it was time for him to leave, he gave me another hug and said, “I’m so glad I came in. You really helped me. You made a difference in my life today.”
Letter Two....
The Young Mother
It was 7:40 in the morning when a young mother came into the Office Shop, crying as she tried to get her words out.
Through her tears, she shared that her three-month-old baby was starving and she didn’t have any money for formula.
She said she had heard that the Office Shop helps people and was hoping there might be baby formula on the shelves of our food pantry.
I told her that just a few days ago, someone had brought in two large containers of baby formula, and I would be so happy if she took both of them.
She cried and hugged me and said, “You saved my baby’s life.”
I told her, “Our community is working miracles every day, and you are welcome to come as often as you need.”
It was a life-changing moment for her, and it offered her hope that she and her baby were going to be okay.
Letter Three....
Eighty-Six Cents
It was a summer afternoon, and the store was full of people from out of town.
A young mother came in with her eight-year-old son to get food from the Calumet Free Fridge.
As they gathered a few items, the boy looked up at his mother and said, “Mama, why are you crying?”
She wiped her eyes and said, “I’m just so grateful that we have food to eat tonight.”
A few days later, that same eight-year-old boy came back into the store with a big smile on his face. He looked like a cat that had just eaten the canary.
He walked up to the counter and placed eighty-six cents on it.
He said, “I want to donate this money to help others, and to thank you for the food last night.”
That moment is forever in my mind. It fuels my passion to make a difference every day whenever I’m given the opportunity to do so!
Letter Four.....
The Woman with the Walker
She came into the Office Shop with a walker, moving slowly beside her son. She looked thin and worn, but there was strength in her eyes.
She told me she had heard about the Calumet Free Fridge. Then she explained that she hadn’t been able to buy meat for three weeks because her cancer medicine was so expensive.
She shared that she had stage four cancer and only a short time to live.
I told her that I would do everything in my power to make sure she had plenty of meat to eat in the days ahead.
For the next few weeks, I put together a good assortment of food for her, always including extra meat. Her son would stop by to pick it up and bring it home to his mother.
After a while, her son came in again. His eyes were full, and he told me that his mom had passed away.
I hugged him, and we both cried. When we stepped back, he looked at me and said, “You really made a difference these last few weeks, making sure my mother had food to eat. My family is very grateful.”
Letter Five....
The Washing Machine
The reach of the Office Shop and the Calumet Free Fridge continues to surprise me, touching people well beyond Calumet.
One day, I got a call from a lady in Marquette, about 120 miles away. She told me her husband had been deported, leaving her to care for a one- and a three-year-old by herself. Her car had broken down and needed a thousand dollars in repairs. To make things even harder, her washing machine had stopped working too.
I told her I had some connections in Marquette and that I would reach out and see what I could do.
Within two days of contacting several people, she received a brand-new washing machine, completely installed. She sent me a picture of it and said how grateful she was. She couldn’t believe it had come together so quickly, and she was amazed that it was brand new!
Letter Six....
The Lift Chair
Sometimes giving freely to someone in need is worth more than receiving a million dollars.
There’s a lady who comes into the Office Shop often to get food. Her husband had gone through two back surgeries, and his doctor had written a prescription for the insurance company to provide an easy-lift recliner because he was in so much pain trying to get in and out of a regular chair. The insurance company denied the request.
A few days earlier, someone had donated a beautiful lift chair to be auctioned off to raise money for the Calumet Free Fridge. It was a sixteen-hundred-dollar gravity recliner in perfect condition.
When the woman came in and told me about her husband’s situation, she noticed the chair right away. I looked at her and said, “That chair was meant for you.”
She began to cry as we loaded it into her vehicle, thanking me over and over again.
Letter Seven....
The Postage Stamp
A couple visiting from out of state stopped by the Office Shop one afternoon. They came in to buy a single postage stamp for a postcard they had picked up on their trip.
While they were there, a young couple with a baby came in to use the Calumet Free Fridge food program. The mother had a three-month-old baby boy. When she saw that we had baby formula available, she began to cry.
She said, “This is so expensive, and we really need it. I just can’t believe you have baby formula!”
The couple who had bought the postage stamp left, but about ten minutes later they returned. Smiling, they handed me a one-hundred-dollar bill and said, “Please use this to buy two more containers of baby formula for other young families in need.”
They explained that they were doing well and wanted to help because what they saw happening here was something special.
Letter Eight....
The Notebook
A young man came into the Office Shop with a few people who use the food pantry regularly. After picking out some food, he began looking around the store.
He walked up to me holding a composition notebook and asked, “Is this free?”
I told him, “No, that one’s sixty-nine cents.”
As he set it back down, I could tell he really wanted that notebook. So I asked him a few questions. I asked if he liked to write, and he said he loved to. He told me he was going on a trip downstate and wanted to write down his thoughts about life and share them with his girlfriend.
I smiled and said, “That notebook’s on the house. And please take a good pen too — you’ll enjoy writing with it.”
Letter Nine....
The Ink Cartridge
It was about three months after I purchased the Office Shop. It was a dark, cold, snowy February evening, around eleven o’clock, when the phone rang at my house.
On the other end was a woman in distress. Her child needed to print a school report for the next morning, and they had just run out of ink. She asked if I had the right cartridge in stock, and if I would be willing to go to the Office Shop and open it up so she could meet me there.
I told her, “That’s not a problem. Give me twenty minutes and I’ll be there.”
Sometimes it’s not easy to do the things that matter to your soul, the things that truly make a difference. But it’s always worth it.
The amazing part about this story is that it happened two more times in the next four months!
Letter Ten....
The Crossword Pen
There is an older woman who comes into the Office Shop from time to time. She always took a good amount of food for herself and her husband, and I knew they didn’t have much.
She showed me a pen she liked to use for her crossword puzzles. It was a very nice, high-quality pen. When I told her the price, she smiled a little and said, “I guess I’ll just wait until I can afford it.”
She walked out to her car, and I carried her groceries out for her. Then I told her I had forgotten something and went back inside. I came back with three of the pens and said, “You’ll need a spare just in case. Please accept these as my gift.”
She took my hand, looked into my eyes, and said softly, “God bless you.”
I truly believe that if we listen carefully to the people around us, we can do great things with very little effort.
Always pay attention to the signs, to the way people speak and carry themselves. When you are given an opportunity, make their day.
Letter Eleven....
The Astronaut Pen
It was my first year in business when a young boy started coming into the Office Shop after school. Every day for weeks, he would stop and look at an astronaut pen.
The astronaut pen could write upside down, and he was truly in love with it. But it had a high price tag, and he couldn’t afford it.
One day, as he stood there admiring the pen, I walked by and asked him what he thought of it. His eyes lit up, and he talked for five minutes about how great it would be to lie in his clubhouse, look up at the stars, and write down his thoughts.
I told him that sounded like a wonderful and peaceful way to spend time. Then I handed him the pen and said, “Pay it forward someday, and enjoy writing down your thoughts.”
I still remember the hug that young man gave me.
Letter Twelve....
The Message
A woman donated a futon in very good condition for the Calumet Free Fridge. Along with it, she sent a beautiful message that deeply touched my heart.
I thanked her for her kindness, and this was her message:
Good morning. It is the least I can do for all you have done for me and my daughter. When I could not afford to feed her, much less myself, you were there to help with over a week’s worth of meals. You made me feel seen and heard and cared for, like we matter. Thank you so much. May the good Lord bless you and your family for what you have given back to the community. With great respect.
She said that things are going well for her now, and that means more than anything.
Letter Thirteen.....
The Car Seat
There was a young woman who came into the Office Shop today. She visits often for food, and I found out that she’s expecting a baby.
She was so grateful for the food she received. Then she looked outside and noticed a car seat on the sidewalk and asked how much it was.
I told her that people donate items to help raise money for the food bank, but I also said, “I know you would really appreciate it, and you need one, so please help yourself.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and she said thank you several times. Then she asked if she could give me a hug.
So many amazing stories every single day. What a wonderful life.
Letter Fourteen....
There is a woman who comes to the Office Shop often for food. She posted a kind comment on my page that meant a lot to me.
Her message said:
You are such a blessing for so many, young and old. I know a few elderly people who tell me they don’t know what they would do without the Calumet Free Fridge. It helps them make it through another month. Some just get what they need to get by, others get a week’s worth of groceries, but they all appreciate your kindness. God bless you, Ron and Nancy.
Messages like this remind me that what we do truly matters.
Letter Fifteen...
The Doll
A young girl, probably about seven years old, came into the Office Shop with her mother while they were getting food for their family. She was holding a very worn-out doll, clutching it tightly as she walked through the store.
I had a few beautiful dolls left over from a collection that someone had donated to be auctioned off to raise money for the Calumet Free Fridge. I went over to her mother and asked if it would be all right to give her one. Her mother looked at me and began to cry. She said she just didn’t have the money to replace the old one.
I brought out two dolls and let the little girl choose. She picked one she really loved and held it close as she walked out of the store with a big smile on her face.
Thank you for donating what you can to The Calumet Free Fridge and allowing me to be a part of something so Special and Amazing in our COMMUNITY!!!
Calumet Free Fridge
Ron Rea
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