The Girl and The Garbage Man

A picture of a girl in Bloomington, Illinois, and her favorite garbage man has gone viral. The 3-year-old’s mom posted it after her daughter shared a birthday cupcake with the garbage collector. Alyssa Paldo caught up with the duo on garbage day to hear about the unlikely friendship.

Brooklyn Andracke and her mom have their routine down. On Thursday mornings, they wait at the edge of the driveway for the garbage truck to make its way down their street, rain or shine. They smile and wave and it just so happens that the garbage man rushes out of his meetings to get to their neighborhood to do the very same thing.

For most, garbage day isn’t exactly a day you get dressed up for. But, Thursday’s are a special day for Andracke.

She really took a liking to the garbage truck.” Traci Andracke, Brooklyn’s mom, said.

What started as a fascination with the flashing lights and the horn, anxiously waiting, smiling, and waving as the truck made its way into the neighborhood, turned into a highly-anticipated meeting with the guy inside the truck a year in the making.

“The first time she met him it was I think to her like meeting a celebrity. She was just in awe of him and that he was standing at the end of our driveway…THE garbage man.” Andracke said.

That man is Delvar Dopson. Turns out, he also was looking forward to seeing the little girl.

“My day really starts when I pull into this neighborhood and I see Brooklyn. Regardless of title or recognition it’s about recognizing your gift and giving it to the world. I believe this is my life work and what I was born to do. Just give a piece of that kindness.” Dopson said.

As for the little girl and her superhero sanitation specialist, it’s an unlikely friendship that will last far beyond garbage day.