Sanitation worker’s kind gesture caught on camera

A woman from Kansas City, Missouri, saw a wholesome moment between her elderly mother and a sanitation worker last week. Now, she’s sharing video of that pleasant interaction with the world.

Colette Kingston says her 88-year-old mother, Opal Zucca, had a bad fall in January. She was trying to bring her garbage can up her driveway when she fell down and got hurt. 

“Thankfully her trash guy was there and helped her back up and stayed with her until the ambulance arrived,” Kingston told CBS News. “Ever since then, he has brought her trash can to her house every week. They have produced a strong friendship since then.”

The Waste Management worker, Billy Shelby, sees Zucca on a weekly basis, but a recent interaction between the two was caught on camera.

Kingston noticed the sweet moment was caught on her mother’s Ring doorbell camera and after watching the video, she decided to post it on Facebook. 

In the video, Shelby is seen walking hand in hand with Zucca, telling her “God bless you, darling.” He compliments her hair, then jokes he needs to work on his own. Then, with a “good to see you,” he goes back to his garbage truck.

The video went viral, gaining more than 100,000 views on Facebook and the attention of several local media outlets. Shelby first saw the story on TV. “Me and my mother were sitting there watching the news, and I said, ‘That looks like me!’ And then when it came on, I said, ‘That’s me!'” Shelby told local Fox affiliate WDAF.

The 50-year-old Shelby, who has been on the job for four years, said he was just being his authentic self. He says he has a knack for making people smile. “I genuinely just like people, I believe smiles are contagious, you know what I mean?” he said.

Now, Shelby isn’t just putting a smile on Zucca’s face – the video of his good deed is making countless people happy.