ABC7 Pay It Forward: Caring mailman gets $500 from co-worker

GRANADA HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Kevin Wonten wanted to pay it forward to his long-time friend Frank Betancourt. Both men are veteran letter carriers with the United State Postal Service.

Betancourt was raised in Boyle Heights with the help of welfare. He's gone on to put three kids through college: Cecilia at UCLA, Ruben at Harvey Mudd, and now Sarah at Cal State Northridge.

But his 25-year-old daughter Rachel has a debilitating form of cerebral palsy.

"The mental capacity is a little more than an infant. It's very hard for him and his wife," said Wonten.

Yet Betancourt somehow still finds time to go way above and beyond for those on his route. When Joyce Neil's sink broke, Betancourt replaced it. He's helped turn her water on, replaced her hot water heater and even built a wall in her backyard, all on his own time.

"I know he lives far away, but I can call him and he comes over, and he won't take anything," Neil said. "He's just a super guy."

Wonten tracked down Betancourt on his route in Granada Hills for a different kind of special delivery.

"You always think of everybody, your daughter, your family, all of us at work, people on your route," Wonten said. "You just care so much, so we wanted to pay this forward to you because of all the love that you give to everybody else."

Betancourt was shocked.

"I don't know what to say. I'm dumbfounded," he said.

Betancourt got emotional when talking about what paying it forward means to him.

"Life hands you what it hands you. You got to make what you can of it, that's all. It's rough, it's tough, but you got to keep going, you can't give up," he said, tearing up.

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