A postman who befriended a boy with nothing to read but junk mail has used social media to help the youngster get a library's worth of books of his own.
As postie Ron Lynch was filling a row of mailboxes in front of an apartment building in Sandy, Utah, he noticed 12-year-old Mathew Flores rifling through junk mail. To Lynch's surprise Flores asked if he had any extra unwanted post.
When he questioned the boy as to why he was so keen to get his hands on flyers and free papers, Flores revealed that he owned few books at home and couldn't afford to travel to the nearest library.
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"I just usually read the newspapers," Flores told local news station KSL-TV, explaining that he regularly pored over adverts to feed his passion for reading.
Lynch was touched by the encounter, telling KSL-TV that it reminded him of how his own mother instilled a love of books in him at a young age. He decided to share the story and a photo of Mathew on Facebook, in the hope that a few friends and family might donate some spare books.
To his surprise, the low-key campaign took off, as Flores' story inspired literature lovers far beyond Utah to help a fellow bibliophile in need. "I've heard from the UK, Australia, from India," Lynch said.
Books continue to arrive for Flores, who can now fill entire shelves with reading material that will keep him busy for a long time to come.
"They said, 'These books are for you,'" Flores said. "I thought they were mistaken, but they were for me… I'm just super happy."
Taking his cue from the generosity of his postal worker benefactor, Flores told the TV station that he plans to share his books with other children once he finishes them.
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