When Charlie Poveromo died, wife Velvet knew she had to continue his legacy. When he was alive, he always left bottled water in the cooler in front of their house for the random workers who would pass by.
It was sad that Charlie died at 57 due to heart failure. But his kindness lives on.
The people who knew Charlie only had nice words for him. Tony Del Gatto, the owner of Grissini restaurant where he worked as a bartender, said he was one of the admirable gentlemen he had ever met. Tony witnessed how Charlie always made every patron feel special when they came over to the bar at Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
According to his wife, Velvet Poveromo, Charlie was an amazing husband, father, and grandpa. He worked six days a week, shared with her house chores, took care of their grandson, and drove her to her doctor’s appointments.
Velvet also knew that she needed to fulfill her husband’s legacy in the community – provide refreshment to passers-by who needed to quench their thirst.
It started five years ago when New Jersey was suffering from an extreme heatwave. Charlie noticed that the men working in the garbage truck were sweating excessively so he ran to his kitchen, filled the cup with water, and brought it to them.
Since then, every summer, Velvet would just watch her husband fill their cooler with cold drinks for anyone who passed by needing it.
Velvet decided to continue his community service. She also let people know about Charlie’s passing by leaving a note that says, “ In case you were unaware, my husband, Charlie, passed away at the age of 57 on March 10th. I will do my best to continue to provide bottled water.”
One morning she was outside, she heard the garbage truck approaching. Several men got out of the vehicle and went straight to her. Velvet was awed when they formed a straight line and saluted her and their home as well. She couldn’t help but shed a tear as the men approached her one by one to hug her. They told her that no one had ever shown them kindness like her husband Charlie did.
Leaving behind a good name for the family left behind is a heritage. Charlie’s kindness will forever be in the hearts and minds of those he helped.