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Ice Cream, Kindness, and the Power of a Simple Thank You.

The Thank You Notes Project

Có thể là hình ảnh về 2 người, xe đẩy chơi golf, xe segway, xe đạp và văn bản

Being an ice cream guy sounds like the happiest job in the world, right? I mean, how could it not be — rolling through neighborhoods with cheerful music playing, handing out cold treats on hot afternoons, greeted by grinning kids.

But there’s a side to it most people don’t see. One of the hardest parts is watching the disappointment on a kid’s face when all their friends buy ice cream, and they can’t — simply because they don’t have a dollar. You see the way their shoulders sink. The way they force a smile and say “it’s okay,” even though it clearly isn’t. It sticks with you.

This year, I decided to do something different. We opened up a way for others to donate money toward these kids’ ice cream. In return, we ask the kids to write thank you cards. We’ll mail these cards to the people who donated. Maybe that thank you arrives in someone’s mailbox long after they’ve forgotten about the donation. Maybe it shows up on a day they’re feeling low. Maybe it brings them a much-needed smile.

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I never wanted this to be just a handout. It’s easy to give something away, but it means more if there’s a moment to pause, reflect, and say “thanks.” We’re in these neighborhoods every day. We’re part of these kids’ lives. That means we have a responsibility — not just to hand out treats, but to be positive role models. To show what gratitude looks like.

So now, if a kid wants a free ice cream, they get to pick out a card, sit down right there at the little folding table, and write a thank you note. Nothing fancy — just a few words, a crayon drawing, sometimes even a goofy stick figure holding an ice cream cone. But it’s theirs. And it’s heartfelt.

People have always given me a couple bucks here and there, telling me to pay for the next few kids. But they never get to see what I see — the sheer joy that lights up a child’s face when they hear, “This one’s on the house, thanks to someone who wanted you to have a happy day.”

Now, with these notes, we’ve found a way to close the circle. The donors get a surprise smile in their mailbox. The kids get the treat and the important lesson of gratitude. And me? I get to witness it all — those moments of happiness that really aren’t hard to create.

It’s so simple, but it makes a difference. Everybody wins. And I think that’s a pretty sweet thing.

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