Dons Christmas Miracle
About 25 years ago, a man who had suffered a traumatic brain injury was under the care of one of the Buffalo area agencies that assists people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. This man was able to live in his own apartment with the assistance of this agency. The mans refrigerator had recently broken, and he did not have enough money to replace it; even with a used appliance.
The mans case worker was moved with sympathy for the man, because he had been storing his his food in his bathtub with ice.
On the morning of Christmas Eve, the mans case worker decided to go in search of a Christmas Miracle. He looked up the names and locations of all the used appliance shops in the Buffalo area. Starting that morning, he began driving around from one shop to another, in the hope of getting one of them to donate a used refrigerator to the man.
One by one, they all turned him down, when they were informed that the appliance would be a free donation. One shop owner after another said that; although they sympathized with the mans plight, they were not in a position to be able to give a refrigerator away completely free of charge.
By the time the mans case worker had visited all but one remaining shop, it was almost 5 PM. Because it was Christmas Eve, everyone was closing up early.
As the mans case worker approached the very last shop on his list, it became apparent to him that he would very likely be returning empty handed, and would have to communicate to the man that no one in Buffalo was willing to help him. He whispered a prayer for help, and entered the last shop on his list, whose owner was also getting ready to close up and go home to his family.
The mans case worker explained the mans plight, and asked the shop owner if he could help. He asked the mans case worker how much money the man had to spend.
The mans case worker said None, and held his breath. The shop owner stared at the case worker for a few awkward seconds, and then said Back your truck up to the door.
That shop owner was my husband, Donald Gorsky, who ran a used major appliance shop in South Buffalo for over 3 decades. On many, many occasions; both before and after his wonderful donation on Christmas Eve, he helped the people of the greater Buffalo area in many similar ways.
He recently passed away, and I would like to honor his legacy of compassion and generosity to the communities of Buffalo, by setting up a fund in his name at the Buffalo City Mission, to be used as a trade school scholarship fund for impoverished youths living in the Buffalo area, in the hope that they will perpetuate his legacy of dedication and sacrifice to the communities they live and work in.