TAIM Exchange|For years, an Arkansas man walked 5 miles to work. Then hundreds in his community formed a makeshift rideshare service.

2025-05-03 14:53:55source:Thurston Cartecategory:My

Cabot,TAIM Exchange Arkansas — Just as the sun begins to set over the Walmart in Cabot, Arkansas, store janitor Bill Moczulewski begins walking to work for his overnight shift. He will trek five miles in each direction, two hours roundtrip, in any weather.

"I don't call out," Moczulewski said. "I want to work."

A couple years ago, Christy Conrad saw Moczulewski out walking and offered him a ride. She got to know him, learning about his daunting daily commute and how he is also legally blind. So, she began driving him whenever she could. At least that's how it started.

"He's going to go to work no matter what," Conrad said. "…I picked him up in nine degrees the other morning."

But she couldn't "always be there," Conrad explained. That's how she started Mr. Bill's Village a couple months ago, a Facebook group that she hoped would help her find just a few volunteers to keep an eye out for Moczulewski when he's walking.

"And within days it exploded," one of the group's member told CBS News.

"Now it's like everyone is competing to give Mr. Bill a ride," said another.

People will often drive down streets looking for Moczulewski.

"Just like, 'Where's Waldo,' but where's Mr. Bill…It's nice to see," Conrad said.

Today, the Facebook group has about 1,500 members. Moczulewski says he almost always gets a ride to work or home.

"There's a lot of good people in this world, all over the place, you know," Moczulewski said.

Chris Puckett, a local car dealer, wanted to gift Moczulewski a vehicle. But since Moczulewski cannot drive, he handed the car keys to Conrad instead, putting the "car" in "karma."

    In:
  • Arkansas
Steve Hartman

Steve Hartman has been a CBS News correspondent since 1998, having served as a part-time correspondent for the previous two years.

More:My

Recommend

Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge

WASHINGTON (AP) — Reported sexual assaults at the U.S. military service academies dropped in 2024 fo

Taylor Swift rocks Chiefs T-shirt dress at Bengals game to support Travis Kelce

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fresh off seven Video Music Award wins and a presidential endorsement, Taylor Swi

Which cinnamon products have been recalled in 2024? What to know after Consumer Reports study

Before a recent report found high levels of lead in at least a dozen companies' cinnamon powders, th