When you walk up to the east-side home of Victoria Reynolds and Jerry Borchardt, you'll see a basket filled with snacks and water for postal workers to take as they please.
But early this year, the life partners decided to take their kindness one step further.
When they hear the rumbles of a garbage truck making its journey through the neighborhood, they know it's time.
The two step into the driveway, water bottles and snacks in tow, ready to greet the sanitation workers who pick up their weekly and biweekly trash and recyclables.
"It's such a joy. They get a big smile on their face because I don't think people do this," Reynolds says.
Shawn Bemiss points to a "thank-you" sign taped to Victoria Reynolds and Jerry Borchardt's trash bin.
Without taking too much of their time, Reynolds and Borchardt chat with the workers — John "Beto" Garcia, who collects recycling every other week, and Shawn Bemiss, who picks up the trash every Thursday.
Reynolds and Borchardt have also taped signs to the trash barrels, thanking Garcia and Bemiss for their work.
"We stand there and talk to them about their week and we always thank them," Reynolds says. "We want to let them know we really appreciate what they do."
Garcia has worked with the city's Environmental and General Services for 24 years. With all the chaos in our world, he says it's nice to have people like Reynolds and Borchardt.
"When I first met Victoria and Jerry, they were standing at the end of their carport and I thought they were going to ask me about the recycle service, but they were there to offer me water and snacks," Garcia said in an email. "I told them they didn't have to do that, but they insisted and were very grateful for the service."
John "Beto" Garcia, left, holds a surfboard-shaped cutting board that he gifted Jerry Borchardt and Victoria Reynolds, who are both pictured on the right.
Over the summer, the couple gifted Bemiss a toy garbage truck that came with little pickup barrels. Of course, Reynolds crafted tiny signs to tape onto the toy trashcans, just like their life-size ones at home.
"And for Beto, we got him a big giant floor puzzle of a recycling truck," Reynolds added. Most recently, the couple gifted the workers car chargers to help them stay connected to family while they're on the road.
And the kindness has been returned.
The kindness of Victoria Reynolds and Jerry Borchardt toward sanitation workers has been returned. Shawn Bemiss' wife made the couple a Yule log; John "Beto" Garcia gifted them a cutting board from Hawaii.
"Beto went on vacation to Hawaii and we could not believe it when he came back and gave us a surfboard-shaped cutting board," Borchardt says. "We were like, wow, he was thinking of us when he was on vacation in Hawaii."
Bemiss' wife even made the couple a tasty pumpkin Yule log.
A security camera at the home of Victoria Reynolds and Jerry Borchardt catches the couple chatting with Shawn Bemiss when he pulls up on a recent Thursday.
"You don't think of the guys who recycle your recyclables and take your trash away every Thursday knocking on your door, bringing you presents," Reynolds says. "They're a high point of our Thursdays because we dedicate our mornings to them. Getting ready to go out and greet them, it's just really nice when people are willing to be kind to each other. It's nice when you can put those worries and vicissitudes of daily life behind.
"We just decided we need more kindness in the world. We wanted to spread a little cheer every day of the year, not just for Christmas," Reynolds adds. "I mean, where would we be without these guys? We're really grateful for city workers."
