Our Pay It Forward honoree this week is Alexandra Fermin of Tallassee. Fermin goes above and beyond her normal duties as a bus driver to make sure her kids are loved and cared for. She has been a bus driver for about ten years.
A Labor of Love
What sets this route apart is that it’s full of children with special needs. “They love me, I love them, I love my route. I love my job, I love my coworkers. This is the first job I have had where I am totally satisfied,” says Fermin.
Alexandra’s route takes her about two and a half hours to complete. But she finishes the route without complaining. Her goal is to make sure her kids get home safely. She buys them gifts and special treats, all out of her own pocket.
“I really enjoy how much she loves talking about the kids,” says Christine Kilpatrick, who nominated Alexandra for Pay It Forward. “You know, she won’t say names or anything. But she will say ‘this one likes this particular thing. So when I am out and I see it I’ll get it for them and give it to them on their special day or if they’re feeling down, she gives them something. And it’s all out of her pocket. It’s her giving nature.”
Alexandra says she wouldn’t trade her job for anything. And she gives credit to God for putting her right where she is meant to be. “We tell them you are our kids,” says Fermin. “It’s not just kids we pick up. They become part of us. It’s like a little family.”
“I think it helps them with just their little life whatever challenges they may have,” says Kilpatrick. “Different people give different things to them to help them overcome their challenges and she is a really good mentor.”
And she plans to pay it forward even more with her $333 dollars. “Probably donate it. My church. And there are others like people that I help. And I don’t broadcast that,” says Fermin.
Original reporting: Alabama News Network — read the source article.
