Facebook users across the world send books to Mathew
The postie, who works for Sandy Post Office in Sandy, Salt Lake County, Utah, was amazed when Matthew said reading was interesting, but he didn’t have books of his own.
He asked me if I had any extra mail he could read.
Most youngsters of the 21st century are about that digital life – playing video games, watching TV and surfing the web. “My mother instilled reading books in me…at 12 years old, he didn’t want electronics”.
Facebook has since deleted the post, but Mr Lynch said the post has already sparked plenty of good deeds. He decided to share the story and a photo of Mathew on Facebook, in the hope that a few friends and family might donate some spare books.
“I asked him about going to the library, and he said he couldn’t afford the bus pass”, Lynch told KTRK-TV.
“He said he couldn’t afford the bus to the library, so he just walked off, and I thought wait, I got to do something to help this kid out”, Lynch said. “This kid just wanted to read”. “So I came over and talked to his mom, who mostly spoke Spanish, but Mathew helped translate”.
Books continue to arrive for Flores, who can now fill entire shelves with reading material that will keep him busy for a long time to come.
The post has since gone viral.
“Books take you places you’ve never been before and I didn’t want him to be in a grocery store”.
Lynch says that he’s heard from people in the UK, Australia, and India.
“[I think] there are 350 books or more”, said the boy.
Lynch even delivered more books to Mathew personally recently.
Taking his cue from the generosity of his postal worker benefactor, Flores told the TV station that he plans to share his books with other children once he finishes them.