Growing up around the corner from his store on Broadway, I knew Mr. Kaminski.
Pani Mary who lived in a flat in front of my grandmother’s home on Ashley Street worked for him for years. This may seem silly, but I compared him to Sam the Butcher of Brady Bunch fame when I was a kid. I know he helped her out after her husband died. There were always rumors and stories about the way he helped others too.
Whenever my mother would send me or one of my brothers up to his shop, he would always give us some type of treat.
Little did I know until today that this man was something more than any of us ever knew. He was a true Buffalo hero. To me at least, a true Buffalo hero is someone who does marvelous saintly things without ever looking for the spotlight. He just helped people and his community because he felt it was the right thing to do.
How many other people are out there like him? I suspect many.
Tomorrow on my way down to my old neighborhood I will stop by his store and say a prayer or two thanking the good Lord for Mr. Kaminski and hoping his story inspires others to follow his example.
