DEAR SUN SPOTS: Friends of Special Olympics in Jay will be having its Annual Yard Sale on June 15th from 9:00 to 3:00 p.m.  If anyone has any new or slightly used items they would like to donate, please call me and we can make arrangements to pick them up. You can also drop donations off at 166 Franklin Road, where the sale will be held, at your convenience. No clothes please.

Of course, monetary donations are accepted in any amount. Last year was our best event ever! With the generosity of others, we were able to send Special Olympics a check for more than $1600.  Please save the date and join us for this worthwhile cause. If you have questions, please call me at 897-2122 and leave a message. Thank you so much for your help. — Janice, no town

DEAR SUN SPOTS: On Saturday, May 11, my husband and I were at Tractor Supply in Lewiston where I was looking at gas grills. I asked the employees if the assembled grill would fit in my RAV 4 vehicle. I was told that it would damage the grill if they had to lay it down. This kind gentleman and his son asked if there was something they could do to help, as he had a truck. He showed me his driver’s license so that I would know who he was and they loaded my grill in his truck and he and his son followed us home, delivered it and put it in my garage. Words cannot express how we appreciated what this man did for an elderly couple. — Helen, Sabattus

ANSWER: There are very kind people all over the world and I do believe that we are fortunate enough to live amongst extra beautiful, generous beings here in Sun Spots Land. You folks were truly blessed with this act of kindness from another customer, and I’m sure this gentleman was so pleased that he was able to help.

I do want to take a moment to add that this man was extra thoughtful and wise to offer a look at his ID. Sometimes, especially as we get older, we can be taken advantage of by someone who may seem nice, but they have ulterior motives. I’m not saying you should decline every time a stranger offers help, but please be very aware and take precautions, such as writing ID information and a license plate number down or taking a photo of it with your phone. You may want to take a moment to call a family member or neighbor and tell them what you’re doing, such as “I’m leaving the store now and another customer offered to follow me home with my grill.” I don’t want to frighten anyone unnecessarily, but please pay attention to your gut (intuition). If anything feels “off”, just say, “No thank you.”

I used to travel a lot and depended on strangers many times for help, and things always turned out okay. However, I have an elderly mom and also have teenage grandchildren so I just couldn’t help but take the opportunity to give this mini-lecture on keeping safe.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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