“Thank you to the Souls Family. I have said ‘Thank you Lord’, over and over today. This kind of love is overwhelming. I want a National Hug Day where I can hug each one of you.”

Patrick, “The Doughnut Man”

When I hit publish this morning, I didn’t dream that a few hours and more than 5,000 shares later, there would be a GoFundMe campaign created to make Patrick’s dream of owning an ice cream truck come true that raised $5,000 in its first day. (Thank you Tori Salva).

During our interview, Patrick said he had been depressed for a few days because he felt like his life wasn’t making an impact. He said it doesn’t matter to anyone that he keeps working as hard as he does.

Almost 2,000 comments on his story have proved him wrong. Stories of appreciation of him giving a doughnut to a pregnant woman who was craving one, but she didn’t have money at the time. Or giving free doughnuts to buses of school kids. Or to people who needed a little happiness and hope.

I called Patrick before his doughnut shift to tell him that his story was up. He couldn’t talk because a policeman walked up and he was worried about what they would say to this time. He came back and said, “I don’t believe it. The cop read my story and told me Happy Birthday.”

A T-shirt maker from Seattle wants to make T-shirts for him, and business people from Mobile want to help him become successful.

People shared stories of their own recoveries. Even those who saw his arrest were inspired by him getting right back out there again.

Over and over the were the words, “goodness”, “kindness”, and “hustle”. “Hardworking” and “respectful.” “Doing an honest job, even in the hottest days in the blazing sun.” More than one nicknamed him the “Hustle Man.” “It’s like clockwork, you’re there, rain or shine, 30 degrees or 100 degrees.” “The whole town is on your side.”

He was called a “Mobile treasure” and “The new Peanut Man for our time.”

People stopped to give him birthday money, gifts, and balloons. People who wouldn’t accept the doughnuts he tried to give in appreciation.

Like Patrick, and everyone else who has a story in Souls, I have my own flaws and have made plenty of mistakes. I am thankful to be a part of a community that doesn’t condemn the bad decisions of the past, but celebrates who we are today and who we can be in the future.

Stories of rising up are the most important stories I tell because these are the stories of grace, salvation, and mercy that we all need to hear. I say a prayer before each one publishes, hoping everything goes okay. But I have learned to trust you as the reader. No matter what the story, you see the humanity and good inside.

Many comments today said, “I have seen him for years, but never knew his story” or “I saw him but never thought twice about him.”

How many times do we see someone without really seeing them, and what are we missing?

What changes when we see someone with open eyes because we know their story?

That is the purpose of Our Southern Souls.

Thank you for your big heart Mobile.

Here is the link to the GoFundMe:https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-get-the-doughnut-man-an-ice-cream-truck?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&fbclid=IwAR3Mgas54CNciRjCpVr6AFW2mK0VMQED6e9Wv5mNUyrQ95-Kx0eU43LoXvM