Thanks Little Italy for Kindness and Caring

To The Editor:
This letter is in regards to a great example of kindness and caring shown by the staff and owners of Little Italy Restaurant in Wildwood Crest.
My sister, Fiona McKechnie, passed away in March from pancreatic cancer. She had worked at Little Italy for nine years, and in that time came to feel that it was like another home, filled with dear friends. That this feeling was mutual is obvious in the loving gestures they made to honor her memory. In an industry that is unpredictable and dependent upon many factors to be financially lucrative for not just the proprietors but also the staff, they each donated personally to purchase a memorial bench at the Cape May County Zoo.
This is especially meaningful, as in the last weeks of her life; one of my sister’s greatest wishes was to spend a day at the zoo. Just one day outdoors, enjoying the sunshine and focusing on something other than her illness. Sadly, her health deteriorated too quickly for that to happen, but through the amazing people at Little Italy, she has a place of honor there, for us to visit and reflect on wonderful memories.
The generosity did not stop there. In fact, the people from Little Italy were so giving, that they had enough money to make a sizable donation to the Cape May County Animal Shelter. Again, knowing that my sister was an avid animal lover, they chose to honor her in a way that perfectly reflects who she was and what she cared about.
So thank you, Little Italy, for not just the touching memorials to Fiona, but also for being a beacon of what we are all capable of when we chose to live with love in our hearts.
MOIRA VANDER MEER
Richland, MI