A fresh start & family memories on the road
In 2016, Melissa’s world was turned upside down when her husband suddenly passed away, leaving her as a single mother to a 12- and 14-year-old. Seeking a fresh start, she relocated her family to Vancouver Island. While working full-time as a server, a single income simply wasn’t enough to make ends meet.
In 2018, Melissa joined the Skip network in Victoria. It was exactly what her family needed.
“I found Skip to be exactly what I needed at the time. A job where I could make my own hours and didn’t take time away from my children,” she says. “My kids were old enough to come with me. Most shifts they enjoyed riding around with Mom. They did homework in the car, we played in parks when I didn’t have orders, and we made so many memories. Still to this day, at 22 and 24, they occasionally join me just to spend the day doing Skip.”
Small gestures, big impact
For Melissa, delivering food has always been about delivering human connection. Over the years, she built strong bonds with her regular customers.
On one of her deliveries, Melissa chatted with a regular customer whose dog was suffering from health issues similar to a dog Melissa had owned in the past. Melissa gently suggested that the dog might have a chicken allergy. The owner switched the dog’s food to beef the next day, and the pup’s health returned.
A while later, after the customer had to relocate to a different apartment building due to difficult personal circumstances, she ordered Skip again. The customer recognized Melissa’s name. Melissa accepted the order, not realizing who it was for.
“When I got to the apartment building, she was standing outside with flowers and a homemade keychain she had made for me. She gave me a big hug and thanked me for always being nice and respectful,” says Melissa. “I really want to showcase this because it shows we never know what people are going through. We may be their only interaction with human beings in a day. Our simple conversations or small gestures might be the one thing that makes their day. So be kind, and do your job with a smile.”
When the Skip Network delivered love
In 2021, Melissa and her family moved back to Edmonton. Because the move happened during the height of COVID-19 and restaurants were shut down, Melissa transitioned to Skipping regularly.
One evening, while out delivering with her daughter, Melissa posted a message on a local Skip Facebook group wishing safety and well-being to Calgary drivers who were facing severe flash flooding. While a rude comment popped up on the post from another user, it was quickly deleted by group administrators.
Later that night, Melissa’s daughter noticed a Facebook message request from a stranger named Grant Morris, thanking Melissa for taking down the negative comment. Though Melissa hadn’t been the one to delete it, she replied to explain—and that simple, polite response turned into an all-night conversation.
That conversation led to a first date. Four years later, Melissa and Grant are engaged to be married.
Looking ahead
Today, Melissa and Grant both work other jobs, but they still Skip together with a combined massive delivery history—all to fund their dream wedding.
Skip is proud to have played a small part in Melissa’s journey of resilience, connection, and love. Thank you, Melissa, for being an incredible courier ambassador!