The excitement you feel whenever the UPS truck pulls up to your house to drop off an awaited package is something most people are familiar with. This excitement is heightened during the holiday season as gifts that you conveniently purchased online arrive at your front doorstep without a hassle. UPS drivers all over are elated whenever they get to deliver the things you have been anticipating. But for one UPS driver he is all too familiar with the empty feeling and disappointment that comes with never receiving a package during the holiday season. As a young child who grew up with estranged parents, UPS driver Ryan Elliot was tasked with learning to do things a bit different. That’s why now it has been Ryan’s mission to give back to kids who may feel the same way he once did.
This time of the year presents UPS drivers with a copious amount of work as the packages they have to deliver more than triple with the holiday season. But that doesn’t stop Ryan from choosing to take the time to make a difference. You often hear people say everything happens for a reason and Ryan would agree. One year during the holiday season Ryan delivered a package to the Camp Bowie armory. Upon exchange of the package the man working there at the time told Ryan next time he needed to bring a toy because they were collecting toys for children.
Without hesitation Ryan agreed and the next time he had to make a delivery out there, he brought a toy. He shared a laugh with me as he recalled the unusual pairing of bringing a little toy to the giant armory. This sparked an idea – Ryan decided he was going to use his UPS truck to collect as many toys as he could to deliver to the armory. Ryan did not stop there just at himself; he got as many of his coworkers involved as he could. This Christmas season marks 4 years Ryan has been collecting toys this way and his coworkers even decided to name this project, “Ryan’s Toy Drive.”
I asked Ryan what compelled him to start this and he told me, “The passion comes from the joy of giving. As a child I was poor and I actually benefited from receiving toys myself. So to me it’s a no-brainer and something I am happy to do every year. I love filling a basket with toys in my UPS uniform and seeing everyone’s faces. I always want to try to put others before myself and that’s a great feeling.”
Ryan has made it his mission to give back. Growing up without knowing his father led to a complicated childhood and he said he knows all too well what it’s like to feel alone. He offered some encouragement to those that may be in the same shoes he once was. He said, “I will tell you to never give up. I am living proof that you can change your life. You don’t have to live the life your childhood gives you. Work hard, stay out of trouble and you can accomplish anything you want in this life.”
[Story by Miranda Windham]