Bus Driver Purchases Winter Gear For Children He Picks Up Who Don’t Have Warm Hats & Gloves

Dec 16, 2022 by apost team

Bus drivers are some of the most amazing people on the planet. They have the difficult job of transporting some of the most precious cargo back and forth to school each and every day.

Some of those days include severe weather like snow, wind and rain. While the bus drivers are tasked with getting students to school safely in inclement weather, many also take it upon themselves to make sure those students are dressed properly for the cold.

One such big-hearted bus driver is John Lunceford from Kennewick, Washington. Day after day, he found it heartwrenching to sometimes see children without adequate winter clothes freezing outside in the cold. When one of his young riders got on the bus in 2016 after waiting outside in the frigid temps without any gloves on, the veteran bus driver knew he had to do something.

The first step was putting gloves on the young boy's cold hands. While he didn't have an extra set of gloves handy, he did give him his own gloves to help warm the boy up.

However, Lunceford didn’t stop there. After all, if he could help one child, why not help more? After his shift ended, Lunceford went straight to the local dollar store to buy more winter gear for his riders. He picked up things like gloves, hats and scarves to have on hand if ever another youngster were to get on the bus and needed to warm up.

Lunceford even went out of his way to give that first young boy — who initially brought the idea to his mind — a set of winter gear.

After handing out the gear he had bought for his young riders, Lunceford took things a step further. He proceeded to go to the local library to ask if anyone needed clothing for the cold weather. When he saw the positive response he was getting, Lunceford made it his mission to ensure all children he encountered had the proper winter gear to protect them from the harsh elements.

When the school district heard about their bus driver's kind deed, they decided to share his inspirational story on Facebook, recounting the first child who had inspired Lunceford to act. 

“Our staff members have big hearts and on Thursday one bus driver acted on his when he saw a student in need. The student was crying when he boarded John Lunceford’s bus. Lunceford noticed how red the student’s exposed hands and ears were after he’d waited for the bus in the freezing temperatures that morning,” the Kennewick School District wrote.

“The little boy won’t be the last student Lunceford helps out. He told all the students in the school’s library that if they were on his route and didn’t have hats or gloves, he’d take care of them,” it added.

The story went viral in 2016, but Lunceford, a US Army veteran, insisted he wasn't doing this for attention. “I’m a grandfather, you know,” Lunceford said. “No one wants a kid to suffer like that.”

Lunceford vowed to take care of any child who needed his help during the harsh cold months. “There was a little girl who said ‘I don’t have a hat,’ and I said I’ll take care of you, sweetie,” Lunceford said. 

apost.com

What are your feelings on the bus driver’s generous actions? Do you think this is a good way for him to give back to the community? Let us know, and don’t forget to pass this along to friends and family.