For weeks, in the frigid Wisconsin winter, neighbors in Appleton were puzzling over a sudden mystery.
On garbage days, they would trudge with their trash bins down their long driveways of snow and ice—and in the evenings the bins appeared back at their garages.
Melody Luttenegger, who lives in the neighborhood of Grand Chute, first asked her husband—but he replied, ‘no, I’m not bringing the garbage cans up.’
Then, she thought it was the garbage company, and decided to stake out the area to discover the identity of the good deed-doer.
“It was the day before Christmas Eve,” she told WFRV Local 5’s Barrett Tryon. “And I got a little gift for them… and stood there, waiting and waiting.”
At 8:21 in the morning, she saw Dick Pontzloff, a 75-year-old senior who lives a few streets over, coming up the driveway with the Luttenegger’s garbage cans.
WFRV broadcasts a regular segment called ‘Positively Wisconsin’, to showcase inspiring people.
And, Dick turned out to be quite inspiring.
“When I retired, I got sick of doing nothing, so I started going around and picking up garbage cans. Not just certain ones, everyone’s,” he told Local 5 News, from nearby Green Bay.
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He’s lived in Wisconsin most of his life, and always loved winter.
“I put this mask on because it makes your face nice and warm. That’s the reason I’m wearing it. I don’t normally wear it,” he laughed again.
“Just be nice to all people,” he said. “It’s just what you gotta do. Just think if you were at home and you needed someone for help.”
Luttenegger benefitted from something more intangible than help: “You know, the kindness that strangers give is an unexplainable feeling.”
WATCH the WFRV video below…
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god bless him
God has blessed him for it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Absolutely 🤗
Beautiful, absolutely love this. I totally agree with his concept too. I used to have the same way of thinking until I became severly disabled by bone disease and pain. I wish we had one of him where I live!!! So much love and blessings to you