'You can't put a price on sentiment': Brandon handyman praised online for selfless work
A handyman in Brandon, Man., is being praised online for his big heart and selfless work.
“I’ve always been a maintenance man,” said Randy Phillips. “I love to fix things and tinker, ever since I was young.”
Phillips offers his minor computer repair services to those in the community that need it, and only charges by donation.
“During the pandemic, it really hit some people,” Phillips said. "And now with the price of gas and the economy the way it is, I just thought, you know, it’s hard for some people to make ends meet.”
Phillips was inspired to start paying it forward after seeing people promoting similar acts of goodwill online.
"There was a lady in Kamloops during the pandemic, during that big toilet paper fiasco where people were hoarding toilet paper and other products, and a lot of seniors couldn’t get out to get their shopping done,” he said. “This girl says, ‘I’m going to go out and do your shopping for you and deliver it for you for free.’ She was even paying for some of the products.”
Phillips was able to help Kimberly Poole, a woman who needed access to the computer of her aunt who had passed away. Poole said she’s been told before that it might not be possible, the data on the computer might be lost, or it would cost several hundred dollars.
“It was the day that my aunt had passed away five years later,” she said. “As I was scrolling through Facebook, I end up seeing a post that mentioned he was working on computers by donation only, and that he could possibly retrieve photos from computer hard drives. When I saw that, I thought it was worth a shot.”
Phillips was not only able to regain access to her computer, but managed to save all of the files stored there as well.
Poole was so appreciative that she wrote a post on the “People of Brandon” Facebook group about her experience and what it meant to her.
“You can’t put a price on sentiment,” she said. “When I was able to go through all of those pictures, it was a relief. I had access to everything that I thought I’d never have access to again.”
The post has since garnered over 450 reacts and comments from friends and other clients of Phillips, praising him for his work and his overall selfless character.
“He doesn’t think that what he’s doing is generous,” said Jen Shymanski, whose partner worked with Phillips previously and they remained friends. “To him, it’s just the magic that is Randy.”
“I was going through some difficult times and was a little low on food. I heard a knock on my door and when I opened it, there was a grocery cart full of food,” said Cheryl Drader, a B.C. resident who was a tenant in a building that Phillips was the handyman of. “I knew it was him because I saw him running away, it was really nice to get that.”
“I’m not a business,” said Phillips. "It’s just something I thought, you know, this is my hobby. If they want to leave a gratuity or whatever, that’s okay. That kudos was enough. When Kimberly posted that, I was very moved.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
A renewed Russian offensive on Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine forces some 1,700 civilians to flee
Russian forces began a renewed ground assault in Ukraine's northeast, killing and injuring several people and forcing more than 1,700 civilians to evacuate from the Kharkiv region, officials said Saturday.
For moms-to-be, it's possible to take maternity leave without breaking the bank
Pregnancy is often an exciting and anxious time for parents-to-be. And while painting the nursery and choosing a stroller are typically on the agenda, experts say preparing financially for a maternity leave can help reduce stress later on as well.
Israel orders new evacuations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah as it prepares to expand operations
Israel ordered new evacuations in Gaza's southern city of Rafah on Saturday, forcing tens of thousands more people to move as it prepares to expand its operation and adding that it is also moving into an area in northern Gaza where Hamas has regrouped.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.