When Ireland Dannehold opened her Nocatee apartment door to receive a Panera DoorDash order on a Tuesday afternoon, she expected little more than a transaction.
Instead, she found an 81-year-old man standing before her — paper bag in one hand, drink in the other. His beard was white, his eyes soft with age. A brace wrapped around his knee, evidence of strain, and still, he had climbed three flights of stairs to reach her.
He offered a warm smile, handed over the meal, and turned to go — his back slightly bent, his gait deliberate, on to the next delivery.
Dannehold sat down, but the encounter had dulled her appetite. They were separated by more than half a century — one at the beginning of adulthood, the other in its quiet dusk — and yet, something unspoken passed between them.
“He reminded me so much of my grandfather,” said Dannehold, 21, a graduate of Nease High School. “The way he smiled, the fact that he was still working. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
Her grandfather, who had helped raise her in the absence of her mother, had been a constant — tender, steady, and now, gravely ill.
The stranger at her door seemed, somehow, an echo.
The aspiring nurse returned to the footage captured by her Ring doorbell. She watched it again. And again. The man stood waiting with gentle patience. There was something weary in his expression. And then, at the moment she appeared, a smile sparked across his face — swift and genuine.
“I had tipped him ten dollars, but it didn’t feel like enough,” she told The Citizen. “I wanted to know who he was.”
She showed the footage to her fiancee and several friends, drawing welled eyes from all.
She shared the video on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, hoping for someone to provide a name — and perhaps the basis of a “community appreciation” fundraiser.
Within hours, the posts began to spread. On TikTok alone, the video drew over 1.1 million views.
Comments came from across the country, but many were local — Ponte Vedra residents who had also received deliveries from the same man. They spoke of his kindness. One woman recalled how he helped her carry groceries to the door.
Eventually, a relative came forward. His name was Larry Bailey, a father and grandfather.
With that, Dannehold launched the GoFundMe in his honor on Thursday. Within a day, it had raised over $7,000.
“I really don’t know if he needs the money,” she said. “But that’s not really the point. I want him to know that someone noticed him.”
She believes some older Americans are too often dismissed — their labor invisible, their stories left unasked.
Her own connection to her grandfather had instilled a lasting respect for age, and for those who continue on gracefully.
“They’re special to me,” she said. “That’s why I want to be a nurse. I want to care for people like Larry.””
Ireland reached out on Facebook, but he hasn’t yet replied. That, too, she understands.
She still knows little about Larry Bailey, but that’s of minor consequence. Maybe he can use the financial boost, maybe he’s simply staying busy in his latter years.
“I just hope,” she said, “he knows that I appreciate him. That we appreciate him”
6 Responses
Being older he may not use FB perhaps a letter to his employer to pass forward would solve this issue? Thank you for your kindness.
You are a good HUMAN!
Perhaps reconnect with the relative who first gave you his name…
Your grandfather would be so proud of you. We are proud of you .
You did a “mitzvah”… a good deed .
♥️💋🙏
Larry delivers to me at work a few times each week. He is a lovely man – I hope that your kindness lets him know how many of us appreciate him! I will join the Go Fund Me! Thank you so much!
Larry is one of the hardest working and nicest people on DoorDash – he delivers to me all the time. Sometimes I see him standing waiting for orders and he always recognizes me and says hello. He always goes the extra mile and I always tip him well. I will definitely be joining the Go Fund Me!
It seems sweet Larry met a sweet angel 😇 on this earth ! Thank you Ireland 💖 for being a vessel of Gods Love !on this earth 🌍 ! 💖💖💖💙💙💙