This incident was part of a larger story on homelessness, published in the CT Post in May.
Mark Yurkiw thought it deserved to be seen by “06880” readers who might have missed it there. It sure does. The Post‘s Alex Putterman wrote:
One night in early January, Gabriela [identified only by her middle name] was at Norwalk Hospital receiving treatment for a broken jaw, accompanied by her son. A stranger heard her tell a nurse she couldn’t afford a ride home and approached with an offer to help. Her name was Courtney Davis.
Courtney Davis
Davis inhabits the opposite end of Connecticut’s divide as Gabriela. She lives in Westport with her husband — a real estate developer she met years ago when she worked as a personal assistant to Jared Kushner — and their two kids.
On Instagram, she shares her mostly glamorous life with more than 22,000 followers. One recent post showed her blasting 2Pac from her Mercedes.
Davis and her husband often eat out around the corner from a Westport homeless shelter, and she says she sometimes feels strange sipping an expensive cocktail so close to people who can’t afford basic essentials.
“I’m surrounded by millionaires, and right next door this is happening, where people can’t even buy any food for their family?” she said. “It’s crazy.”
And so after meeting Gabriela at the hospital and hearing her story, Davis offered to pay for an Uber to take her home, and the women exchanged contact information. Shortly after, Davis took Gabriela and her son to Target, where she bought them coats, pajamas, snacks and toys. She posted about the encounter on Instagram and started a GoFundMe for her new friend.
Months later, they still talk regularly and consider each other friends.
“That little act of kindness, it meant so much to me,” said Gabriela, who says she hopes to repay Davis one day.
(“06880” is proud to honor Unsung Heroes — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)
This is what it’s all about. In the greater scheme of things, this is a beautiful small act of consideration and kindness. But from another point of view, it is the biggest, most valuable and impactful action. Courtney Davis, thank you for making a difference in our world. Courtney and Dan, thank you for the reminder that we all have the ability to make a difference.
Ms Davis deserves her kudos. Starting personally grounds her experience the I & Thou, the Me & You, the WE of real life. Hopefully she can take her energies into ALL of the good organizations in Westport that help others. So many. The opportunities are there — our host Dan highlights them almost daily. (This includes her husband, too.)
As our national safety net splits apart and collapses to the ground, ALL of us are going to have to step up much more with much more to Mind The Gap. People in the US will die because of this. Sure, dear Idahoan Joanie, we all die. Don’t need to die sooner and more horribly, do we? Don’t need to be PUSHED by stone-faced Lisa Ms who’ve walled off 990K people in Alaska.
What’s that phrase? Yep. To Life.
Of course, the REAL Unsung Hero is Gabriela as a single mom, doing the best she can daily by herself and her boy. As all her sisters in same situations are. Now, if your Unsung Hero came with a cash prize, Dan, . . . .
Oh, by the way, them peoples in rural Pensies counties have no idea about the hurt they’ll be in next year when their hospitals close, an action voted FOR by that Equity Pirate from Westport they voted into office last year — did they think Senator Westport was going to give them a stake in his takes?
This is wonderful story.
Thanks to Courtneyand many blessings to Gabriela and son.
Can you share the link to the GoFundMe please?