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Surprise! This cup of joe is on Jo |
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JIM WILKES Jo Kennedy pays it backward. It's her early-morning twist of the concept of enriching other's lives by doing an unselfish good deed — paying it forward. For nearly a year, Kennedy has been a regular in the drive-through lane of a Tim Hortons coffee shop in Vaughan, surprising the motorist behind her a couple of times each week by paying for their order before driving off to work. "It just makes me feel good to think that maybe somebody else's day is better," says the 47-year-old mother of three, who runs the office at Vaughan's Active Gear, which sells automotive products to government. "Maybe somewhere down the line they'll talk to somebody else and make their day better, too." And so on and so on and... "She's a real sweetheart," says Maria Coes, manager at the Tim Hortons on Keele St. near Highway 407, where staff recognize Kennedy's voice and have her regular order — a double-double for herself and a big black for her boss — hot and ready. "There isn't enough caring for other people nowadays," Coes says. "Everyone is in such a rush to get where they're going that they don't have time to think about other people. "When you have customers like her, it's very easy to be happy yourself during the day. "One good person cancels out all the bad ones." Coes said the Kennedy spirit is even rubbing off on customers she's treated; they've taken to paying for folks behind them, too. "She's always happy, always bubbly," Coes says. Kennedy has heard it all before. Friends and colleagues have branded her perky and bubbly and downright giddy. "My name is Jo," she says, a big smile erupting under a shock of bright orange hair. "It's Jo. "It's not short for anything. It's just short like me." She says her coffee largesse began after a friend told her about a personal-development workshop she attended. "One of the things they do at these workshops is find ways to pass it forward, to pay it forward, to do something nice for other people, to do nice things for yourself," she said.
Some people who reap free coffee, bagels or doughnuts simply by pulling in behind Kennedy try to catch up and wave, or roll down their windows to scream "Thanks!" if she stops for a traffic light. "It's more fun just to get away," she says modestly, admitting she's not in it for anything more than the good feeling she gets from doing something nice for someone else. Kennedy was raised in New Brunswick and came to Toronto as a teenager, bringing bundles of East Coast charm and friendliness to the big city. "There you can talk to people on the street, to people you've never met," she says. "They'll look at you in the face, even if you're a stranger." But that openness has earned her more than a few stares. "Some people are kind of threatened by it," Kennedy says. "Maybe because they'd like to have the guts to do stuff, step outside the box once in a while, but they can't find it inside themselves to do it. "So it's more comfortable for them if nobody does." She's comfortable having paid a couple of hundred dollars over the past year to brighten the days of people she's never met. "It's a wise investment," she says. "And my face is happier, too." Voices: Acts of kindness THESTAR.COM STAFF For nearly a
year, Jo Kennedy has been a regular in the drive-through lane of
a Tim Hortons coffee shop in Vaughan, surprising the motorist behind
her a couple of times each week by paying for their order before
driving off to work. We asked you to tell us about any random acts
of kindness you've experienced. A young girl
came in to the store [where I worked] with her mother to buy a graduation
dress. The girl tried on many dresses, but none fit properly. After
about an hour, she finally found one that looked great. Her mom
was happy and they approached the counter to buy it. But, when they
saw the price, they knew they couldn't afford it. The girl had a
few tears, but did not complain. She kept trying on dresses, but
it was easy to tell that she felt self-conscious in all the other
ones. Then, the woman who was in the change room across from her,
along with her husband, took the dress to the counter, paid for
it, and gave it to the girl. The girl and her mother were so grateful,
and we all shed a tear or two over the incident. While driving
home from downtown Toronto at about 3 a.m., I noticed a driver trying
to push his broken-down car by himself. I pulled in behind him,
put my hazard lights on and helped push it into the nearby lot.
Finding out he lived in Burlington, I took him to the airport to
try and rent a car, but to no avail. We then tried a couple of the
hotels to see if they knew of any open car rental desks - but to
no avail. We then found a cab who was willing to go to Burlington.
I hoped someone would do the same for me one day. When he thanked
me, I did ask him to pay it forward. Sounds a little cheesy, but
hopefully he did. I had the same
experience (as the recipients of Jo Kennedy’s kindness) when
I lived in Mississauga and went through the drive-through. I was
so shocked and felt so warm from their generosity I wish I could
have thanked them personally. It made my day and I will never forget
that. Thank you, to whoever you were. While parked
on the side of a busy Toronto street (without a parking receipt
on the dash), I went inside a store to do my shopping quickly. Upon
walking outside, I noticed that all of the cars on the street had
‘paid’ parking receipts under their windshield wipers.
This is when I noticed the Parking Patrol Cop getting back into
her car since all the cars had paid for parking. Thanks to whomever
had the kindness to do so! I work part-time
and am involved in a volunteer work that takes me all over the city.
Before I purchased a TTC pass, I was on my way to an appointment
when I realized I didn't have enough cash to get home. As I rushed
to the station digging through my purse for change, I said to a
friend, "I don't have enough to get home." That is when
a homeless man stopped me and offered me a token! I couldn't take
it without giving him all that I had in exchange, $1.25 -- not enough
for a subway ride but just enough for a coffee. His kindness truly
touched me and reminded me not to judge people based on their circumstances.
About five years
ago I was working as a waitress in downtown Toronto. In that kind
of a job, you meet more than your fair share of jerks. On one particularly
bad night, a patron ordered almost $70 worth of food and alcohol
and then waited for the moment I stepped outside to tend to a customer
on the patio, to make good his escape. I was stuck with his $70
bill (to come out of my tips, which I needed to buy school books).
A couple who had witnessed the whole thing, came back later that
night and literally forced $50 on me because they felt so bad for
me. It was the best $20 short I have ever been, and to this day
I remember their kindness and how it took me completely by surprise.
I try to pay it forward as often as I can. I, too, sometimes
pay for the person behind me in the Tim's drive-thru and it's a
pretty cool feeling. The look of surprise on the Tim's employee's
face is worth it. I can only imagine how the recipient feels! And
I agree with Jo that it's more fun getting away without thanks.
People think I'm crazy when I do that (especially my husband) but
most of them think it's also pretty neat. I'm glad to read that
I'm not the only one out there that likes to pay it forward. I was driving
along the 403 on Wednesday, Aug. 25 on my way to a Daniel O'Donnell
concert in Rochester N.Y. when I blew a tire near Grimbsy. A truck
driver named Frank pulled over and graciously told me not to call
CAA it would take them about an hour to get here. He then proceeded
to take off my blown tire and put my donut on. He didn't leave until
he gave me directions to a garage just down the road. Thanks Frank
- your restored my faith in humanity with your random act of kindness.
And yes, I made it to the concert on time. If there's time
left on my "Pay and Display" parking ticket, I try to
find someone that I can pass it on to. When I do this, people are
always thankful and surprised. It's a wonderful feeling, but sad
really that such a small act of kindness actually surprises people.
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