Chat with a lonely man sparked kindness drive

Jessica Hutchinson, who works on Carl's Flowers Fruit and Veg Ltd stall in Northallerton, got talking to an elderly man after she helped fix his blanket when he visited the stall.

Her small act of kindness prompted an emotional response from the elderly man who told Jessica that he had not spoken to anybody in six months and was missing his wife who was placed in a care home during the first national lockdown.

Jessica was moved by his plight and posted a facebook status about it on a Northallerton community forum.

Before long, her post had been liked by hundreds of people and led to schools and nurseries across Northallerton pledging to send cheerful pictures and messages for Jessica to hand out from her town centre market stall.

Jessica was overwhelmed by the response, receiving in excess of 800 pictures.

She said: "I felt so sad after the conversation with the gentleman and it really made me think that just a simple hello can make all the difference to someone.

"The response has made me feel really proud in the respect that all the teachers in the schools and nurseries brought it upon themselves to encourage the children to do this - and teaching them about looking after the elderly in a way that we probably wouldn't have seen if it wasn't for Covid.

Jessica Hutchinson from Carl's Flowers Fruit and Veg in Northallerton who has been handing out posters made by local children to cheer people up Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

"The whole of Northallerton came together; all the schools, every single nursery, children that are being home-schooled, they have all made pictures to give out on the market.

"It has just been amazing, the outcome of it, the way the community has responded does make me proud."

Jessica explained that one of the nurseries donated a bird box and although it was initially intended for the original elderly visitor who sparked the campaign, he has not returned to the stall.

Instead, another regular visitor brought along her mother who explained that an elderly man she knew of in Stokesley had lost his wife and daughter and is now bedbound after having two major operations in one year.

Jessica was told that he spends his days watching the birds through his window so she felt like it 'was meant to be' that he should receive the bird box.

She said: "I went and got the bird box and said 'please can you give it to the gentleman', and they cried.

"It was emotional, and such a strange co-incidence that the woman should visit that day and tell me about that man when I had this bird box to give out - I just felt that it was meant to be."

Jessica, 22, has been working on the stall since she was 12-years-old and described the market as being 'the heart of the town.'

She thanked everybody who has helped her spread some positivity through their pictures and messages and said she continues to enjoy talking 'to anybody and everybody' who visits the market.