XENIA — Dillon Barrett has always been one to help out.
Before COVID hit, the 12-year-old once took extra money from his birthday and bought gifts for less fortunate kids at his school.
“He’s always been really generous and willing to help others,” said his mother, Angie Berry.
So it should come as no shock what the Warner Middle School seventh grader did last week after Winter Storm Landon dumped half a foot of snow on Xenia. After a talk with his father, Don Barrett, Dillon fired up his newish snowblower and went to work to make sure the neighborhood was passable.
“Me and my father started having a conversation,” Dillon said. “He was talking about how the mailman had to walk through all the deep snow. I felt bad. I said I’ll do the entire street.”
And two hours later, the sidewalks on both sides of Xenia Avenue were clear.
“It was a good thing that he did,” Berry said. “He’s an outdoor kid. He’s not one to sit around. He’s always been into helping.”
The snowblower was given to Dillon and his brother as a way to maybe make some extra cash. But on this day the work was free, despite some neighbors offering a little something for his effort.
“They asked if I had a cash app, I said no,” Dillon said. “They said would you like an alternative, like hot chocolate.”
But he politely turned that down as well.
“I didn’t really need anything for it,” Dillon said. “Their thanks was everything that I needed. I don’t need the recognition. I don’t want all the social media looking at me. I just want to try to do nice things for people.”
But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t take a few bucks down there road.
“Who doesn’t want a little extra cash in your pocket?” Dillon said.
Especially when it can be used to help others.
