Denver Deputy Buys Groceries For Family With No Food

By Shawn Patrick on August 15, 2023
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

On June 30th, Arapahoe County, Colorado, Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Weiner responded to a domestic disturbance call at a Denver-area residence. When he arrived at the home of 71-year-old Vicki Green, the deputy discovered there was a bigger problem. Green was caring for two young boys and her partner had come home and eaten the last two hot dogs in the fridge that were meant for the boys. The children had to go to bed without any dinner, which aggravated Green, causing a fight.

Weiner was clearly on Green’s side, almost as upset as she was. “As a father and as a parent and just as a good human being like that just felt so vengeful and so mean,” the deputy says. But instead of just moving on to his next call, Weiner and his partner went to a nearby grocery store and returned later with bags of groceries.

Green was overcome with emotion at the deputies’ kindness. “It was not just an obligation or a duty,” she says, “I think he did it because he cared.” But Weiner felt like he got just as much from the kind act, saying, “I just felt grateful in that moment that in some way … there was some minute resolution for the time being for her.”

Around the site