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Joy

Teen honors local UPS driver with a tiny public diorama and his reaction is so wholesome

Brandon is beloved in the community.

Images courtesy of Andrea Hanson/Instagram

Brandon the UPS driver checks out the art installation made in his honor.

Service workers help our communities run more smoothly, but their contributions can often go unrecognized. In some instances, however, people in service jobs become household names and beloved fixtures in their community.

A UPS driver named Brandon is apparently one of those people in Red Wing, Minnesota.

Red Wing resident Andrea Hanson shared how her 14-year-old daughter Mari created a delightful art installation called "Petite Postal Place Featuring: Brandon." Set in a tiny box, the square diorama includes shelves of mini boxes and packages with incredible detail, right down to the Amazon Prime packaging and barcodes, with Brandon the UPS driver standing among them.

Hanson shared a video on Instagram of Brandon's reaction to seeing the art installed next to the postal box in his honor, and it's so wholesome. "Shut up!" he kept saying. "I love it…that is the coolest thing ever."

Watch:

See on Instagram

Brandon clearly appreciated the gesture—"She made that just for me, though?"—and was blown away by Mari's attention to detail—"The Chewy box!"

Other people also loved the art as well as Brandon's reaction to it:

"Bless all delivery drivers!!!! You have no idea how much that made his day!"

"It’s the 'shut up' and the '4H' and 'fair' giving me those MN vibes. Love this so much."

"“Wait til my buddies see this” awwwwwww.❤️"

"Love his reaction. Saying he’s gonna share with his friends at work. 🥹"

"That is so cool!!! She is very VERY talented! 👏👏 And that is the cutest reaction ever. 🥹🥹"

"Love this. ❤️ His genuine appreciation and love he felt. Nice job!"

Mari's art is part of the Art in the Alley community initiative "designed to turn overlooked spaces in downtown Red Wing into vibrant, engaging places, through the power of community art." The people of Red Wing are encouraged to add something artistic to spaces like the alley where Mari put her art piece and to go check out what others have done.

Mari shared a description of "Petite Postal Place Featuring: Brandon" on the city's downtown website along with her history with art:

photo of mini diorama "Petite Postal Place Featuring: Brandon" by Mari HansonPhoto courtesy of Andrea Hanson

A miniature postal room with shelves filled with packages. Brandon the UPS man is standing proudly in front of the boxes, ready to deliver parcels with his radiant personality. Bio: Once I had the capability to hold a marker, I have been creating artwork. One thing that has been on my Christmas list every year is art supplies. Our dining table was always filled with clay, markers, paint, and paper. When my Dad moved to a new office in the house, I got his old one (which is now turned into my art room). It is filled with every art supply imaginable and is all in its own organized spot. Now I spend hours there every day, creating whatever I think up.

Hanson shared with Upworthy's audience on Instagram that her daughter was thrilled that her art has been making the viral rounds and that Brandon has been tickled by it as well:

"I just want to say that my daughter is so overwhelmed and grateful you’re seeing her hard work. She’s not on social media yet…only 14. But I’ve shown her you cheering her on to never quit making art. 🫶🏻 You are making a difference in her life. And Brandon feels like a rockstar. (Which he is!) Such well deserved love for our local UPS guy. He deserves a raise!!! ❤️"

It's heartening to see community being celebrated in so many ways here, from Brandon's obviously stellar service to Mari's appreciation through art to the community encouraging artistic expression to the people of the internet sharing the love. There may be a whole lot of ick in the world, but shared joys like this are potent reminders that humanity can be a force for good.

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The situation on the ground in Syria is devastating.

Years of a brutal and unrelenting civil war have ravaged the once beautiful nation. In the city of Aleppo, streets are filled with rubble. Schools, homes, and businesses were razed by bombs, and rubble and dust clog once vibrant districts.

A Syrian boy prepares manakish in the rebel-held side of Aleppo. Photo by Karam Al-Masri/AFP/Getty Images.

The United Nations estimates that 400,000 people have been killed since the conflict began. 4.8 million people have sought refuge in neighboring countries, but another 6.6 million are displaced within Syria, living in fear amid explosions and destruction.

Now, an unlikely brand is stepping up to raise awareness of the situation on the ground in Syria: IKEA.

IKEA partnered with POL, an advertising agency, to set up an interactive installation in their flagship store in Norway. "25m2 of Syria" takes shoppers inside a Syrian home.

GIF via POL/Vimeo.

But unlike the well-appointed, model apartments typical of IKEA displays, this space is based on the real home of Rana, a mother who lives outside Damascus, Syria, with her family of nine.

Image via POL/Vimeo.

There are cold walls made of cinder blocks.

Image via POL/Vimeo.

Children share small, simple beds on the floor.

Image via POL/Vimeo.

And there's little room room or money for toys, personal items, or simple comforts.

Image via POL/Vimeo.

The tags in the exhibit aren't products for sale. They offer more information about the crisis and suggestions for how individuals can help and support people in Syria.

Image via POL/Vimeo.

Interactive installations like this help people connect and empathize with families half a world away.

This partnership came together to promote TV-Aksjonen, Norway's annual fundraising telethon. Proceeds from this year's event will go toward Red Cross and their work in conflict zones.

Because when all we see on the news are bombs, blood, and know-it-all pundits, it's easy for fear and xenophobia to take over. Any opportunities to see how families live, even in the most dire circumstances, is a much-needed reminder that we are all more alike than we are different.

GIF via POL/Vimeo.

Can't get to Norway to see the installation for yourself? Here are a few ways you can help Syrian refugees.

Learn: Check out books, magazines, and trusted news sources to learn about the long and beautiful history of Syria as well as the current conflict. Don't have a lot of time to read? Download podcasts on foreign affairs from NPR, CNN, BBC, and the United Nations.

Listen: Seek out and really listen to first-person stories of people on the ground and refugees who were able to flee. Signal-boost these primary sources because their stories deserve to be heard.

The United Nations high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi (right), listens to Syrian refugee Samar Barri and her family. Photo by Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images.

Donate: If you have any wiggle room in your budget, consider donating to organizations on the ground in Syria. To operate in the country, aid agencies need express permission from the government. Most never receive it, and those that do are limited in what type of support they can provide.

Hand in Hand for Syria is delivering medication, food, clothing, diapers, and medical equipment to the Syrian people through scheduled aid drops and a network of volunteers throughout the country. ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and supplies to communities effected by natural disasters or humanitarian crises. And be sure to check Charity Navigator to vet any aid group before you donate funds.

Syrians unload an aid convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Photo by Mahmoud Taha/AFP/Getty Images.

Advocate: Call your elected officials and let your voice be heard regarding the war in Syria and subsequent refugee crises. Mobilize your friends and family to do more, like helping refugee families in your own community or speaking out against xenophobic rhetoric.

Protesters listen to speakers in Parliament Square during a demonstration to show support for refugees in London. Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images.

Once you're aware, this crisis is impossible to ignore.

From our homes a world away, we may not be able to stop bombs or rebuild hospitals and schools. But we can do so much. And we must.

Watch the video for "25m2 of Syria" to see the full installation.

These funky crosswalks in Madrid are delighting pedestrians and keeping kids safe.

Before you cross: Look left, look right, and definitely don't forget to look down.

All photos by Christo Guelov.

An artist named Christo Guelov has created these eye-popping crosswalks all over the city of Madrid.

The dazzling creations are part art installation, part safety feature.

Guelov used simple geometric designs and saturated colors to bring vibrancy to the urban landscape.

He said his initial goal was "the intervention of public space."

And, well ... mission beautifully accomplished.

But when he presented the idea to the municipal council, they told him they thought it might actually help encourage people to cross the street safely and properly.

Safe Kids Worldwide lists pedestrian injuries as one of the top causes of death for kids ages 5 to 19, at least in the U.S.

That's why Guelov chose to spruce up mainly crosswalks that were outside of schools.

There's been a lot of research on what works and what doesn't work when it comes to crosswalk design.

But most of us can agree that "normal" crosswalks are boring and easy to ignore.

So it's hard to argue with anything that gets more drivers to pay attention to them, and better yet, anything that makes pedestrians feel like they're not intruders in a world built for and dominated by automobiles.

Kudos to Guelov for bringing a little beauty to the streets of Madrid.

Hopefully his work will get pedestrians and drivers to perk up, engage with the world around them, and stay safe while they're crossing the street.

Either way, they sure are super fun to look at.

art installation

Teen honors local UPS driver with a tiny public diorama and his reaction is so wholesome

Brandon is beloved in the community.

See how this moving installation at IKEA is changing hearts and minds.

The situation on the ground in Syria is devastating.

Now, an unlikely brand is stepping up to raise awareness of the situation on the ground in Syria: IKEA.

Interactive installations like this help people connect and empathize with families half a world away.

Can't get to Norway to see the installation for yourself? Here are a few ways you can help Syrian refugees.

Once you're aware, this crisis is impossible to ignore.

These funky crosswalks in Madrid are delighting pedestrians and keeping kids safe.

Before you cross: Look left, look right, and definitely don't forget to look down.

An artist named Christo Guelov has created these eye-popping crosswalks all over the city of Madrid.

The dazzling creations are part art installation, part safety feature.

Guelov used simple geometric designs and saturated colors to bring vibrancy to the urban landscape.

But when he presented the idea to the municipal council, they told him they thought it might actually help encourage people to cross the street safely and properly.

Safe Kids Worldwide lists pedestrian injuries as one of the top causes of death for kids ages 5 to 19, at least in the U.S.

There's been a lot of research on what works and what doesn't work when it comes to crosswalk design.

Kudos to Guelov for bringing a little beauty to the streets of Madrid.

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