Keke, a wiry girl of 11, and her great-grandfather, Tony Bruce have been together since she was two months old. At the time, people told him he was too old to take care of the girl, whose mother, then 16, was not able to raise her. Today, they ride buses every day together for more than 3 hours, traveling to her school and to his job helping people at a non-profit group.

For him, the holiday has become a high point, a time when he revels in the logistics of getting turkeys to the same people who rely on him the rest of the year when their cupboards are bare. “They make it all worthwhile,” Bruce said. “They trust me, and they depend on me.”

It turns out that people are inspired by him, too — coworkers, friends and more than a few strangers, one of whom was so impressed to hear his story at a recent awards ceremony that she shook his hand, looked at Keke and said, “She is lucky to have you.”

For him, the holiday has become a high point, a time when he revels in the logistics of getting turkeys to the same people who rely on him the rest of the year when their cupboards are bare. "They make it all worthwhile," Bruce said. "They trust me, and they depend on me."

It turns out that people are inspired by him, too — coworkers, friends and more than a few strangers, one of whom was so impressed to hear his story at a recent awards ceremony that she shook his hand, looked at Keke and said, "She is lucky to have you."

(Read the story in the Washington Post) Thanks to Daniel in Sweden for submitting the story!

File photo by Sun Star