For nearly all of us, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated adjustments, alterations, and cancellations of plans.
One Illinois couple, however, has decided to help those in need while the vast majority of people are simply sitting tight, lamenting their misfortune, and waiting for everything to blow over.
Emily Bugg, 33, and Billy Lewis, 34, were supposed to tie the knot in a lavish ceremony this year, but due to coronavirus, their wedding plans were canceled.
Then, in an act of admirable compassion, they decided to donate their catering deposit to help provide Thanksgiving meals for those in need.
According to reports, the couple used their $5,000 nonrefundable deposit to purchase 200 Thanksgiving dinners for the clients of Threshold, a nonprofit mental health provider that assists individuals with severe mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders.
Couple cancel wedding, donate $5K deposit to the hungry. @Thresholdsctrs Emily Bugg and her husband Billy share their love with our clients. Thank you!! https://t.co/S1b8oJ8vc9
— Mark Ishaug (@MarkIshaug) November 26, 2020
Bugg, an outreach worker at Thresholds, told Good Morning America:”“In the grand scheme of things, canceling a big wedding isn’t the worst thing that could happen,”
As a result of the wedding cancellation, we were able to help Thresholds’ clients feel the warmth of a Thanksgiving meal.
After Couple’s Wedding Canceled by COVID, Pair Donates Catering Deposit for Thanksgiving Meals https://t.co/OEwbZqZVmp pic.twitter.com/APqRFFocUz
— NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago) November 25, 2020
Instead, Bugg and Lewis were married on October 1 at City Hall in Chicago, obviating the need for a large celebration and allowing for the aforementioned donation.
At a time when the sheer chaos of 2020 has many people feeling down in the dumps, it is stories like this that lift our spirits and remind us of the power of the sharing spirit.