How Temple, Texas DoorDasher Gave Woman in Need a Fresh Start
A lot of people would have just said no. The fact that Shelby Moeller decided to take a few extra steps beyond just giving someone an order and leaving probably saved an elderly Temple, Texas woman's life.
When I first saw these pictures on social media back in March, I was a bit confused. Then I read the story of Jane Doe. When I reached out to Shelby for permission to share his experience, my hope was that others in similar situations can be helped as well.
An Unusual Delivery
Shelby was delivering food for DoorDash in Temple when he got an odd request. When he came to the home, the person asked if he could come inside and bring the order to a back bedroom. He was somewhat suspicious and a bit uncomfortable, but he felt an urge to see what exactly was going on inside the home.
I proceeded to knock on the door and heard a small frail voice call out to open the door and come in and there was a small elderly (deteriorating) woman living amongst filth that literally tore my heart absolutely asunder! She had just undergone (a few weeks ago I'm hoping/assuming) a hip replacement at Scott and White and when her only family refused to help her animals, she left the hospital early to care for them!
Shelby went on to describe the scene, as the woman, who he said was over 75 years old, tried to eat her food while he was there. She was in so much pain he said she couldn't get up to answer the door or even use the bathroom.
An Elderly Woman in Distress
He had to leave, but contacted authorities and shared the situation on social media. His original Facebook post received 382 reactions and 329 comments, with almost everyone offering some form of assistance. Shelby didn't post an update until the following week, but he didn't stop trying to get the elderly woman the help she needed.
On March 20th, he was able to share some amazing news. Shelby said originally when he posted about the woman's situation, he wanted to raise awareness that our elderly right here in the Central Texas community are often alone, forgotten, and in need of help. KCEN was able to share the story as well.
After a lot of hard work by a small army of volunteers that stepped up to help Shelby, Jane Doe now has a clean, comfortable living space, and is getting medical help along with other services she needs.
Helping Hands Who Made a Difference
Shelby wanted to thank the following businesses who donated goods and services:
- Bullseye Flooring
- Mike's Plumbing
- Lowe's in Temple
- Home Depot in Temple
- Spotless Crime Clean
He also wanted to thank the many individuals who donated their time to this project: Christina and Shyan King, Lisa Pease, Susan Miller, Kimberly Greene, Robin Rochell, Kyli and Josh Abbatoye, Heath, Julie, and Kenny Jones, Misti Smith, and Clean Tollerson.
If You See Something, Say Something!
There are so many bad things happening every day in Central Texas, it's easy to forget the angels among us that are helping those who cannot help themselves.
I truly believe that Shelby Moeller is one of those angels, along with everyone who stepped up to help him. Jane Doe now has a second chance at life - all because her Door Dash delivery driver shared her story and decided to help instead of turning away.
Scroll down to take a look at the incredible challenge these volunteers faced and the result of their hard work and loving dedication.