Legally blind man walked 5 miles to work until a 'village' organized to create a rideshare
"I don't call out. I want to work."
Bill Moczulewski and Christy Conrad
Bill Moczulewski is a 57-year-old hardworking janitor at Walmart in Cabot, Arkansas. He works the night shifts from Tuesday through Friday, 10 pm to 7 am. Bill lives 5 miles from his job, and he has to walk there and back every day, no matter the weather conditions.
The entire walk, round trip, takes about 2 hours a day.
According to GoFundMe, Bill used to ride his bike to work but was struck by a car one day, but he wouldn’t let that stop him from returning to his job. He’s such a hard worker that he still made it to work using a walker. A few years later, Bill was struck by a car again.
A long walk like that could be troublesome for most people, but Bill is legally blind, which makes the trek even more dangerous. "I don't call out," Bill told CBS News. "I want to work."
A couple of years ago, Christy Conrad saw Bill on his daily walk and offered him a ride. The two struck up a friendship and she vowed to give him a ride whenever she could. "He's going to go to work no matter what," Christy said. “I picked him up in nine degrees the other morning.”
Unfortunately, Christy couldn’t always be there for Bill, so she created a Facebook group called Mr. BIll’s Village to build a team to help Bill get to work and back. Now, group members drive around looking for Bill and give him a ride if they can. It’s like Cabot has its own game of “Where’s Waldo” going on in the streets. Village members watch for Bill, pull over and give him a ride if he needs one.
The group is a way for members to come together to ensure that Bill can get around and members also pick him up meals from time to time, too.
Today, the group has nearly 4,000 followers and Bill just about always has a ride to work. "It's never the same person from one day to the next. There's a lot of good people in this world, all over the place, you know," Bill said.
To help with Bill’s commute, Chris Puckett, a local auto dealer, offered to give Bill a car. But given his vision problems, a car wouldn’t do him much good. So he gave the gift to Christy.
The group has also established a GoFundMe campaign to help Bill with his expenses. Christy has been using the money to get him a bite to eat from time to time. They recently enjoyed some Domino's pizza Bill hadn’t had in quite a while.
The story of Bill Moczulewski and the village that supports him is a wonderful example for all to share. If you work hard, you can inspire others to work hard for you. "It's never the same person from one day to the next. There's a lot of good people in this world, all over the place, you know," Moczulewski said.
Kimberly Davis Quick