Actions

Children refill stranger's empty Halloween candy bowl: 'Be kind to everyone'

Posted at 2:01 PM, Nov 02, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-03 11:01:17-04

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- It's better to give than to receive is an adage one Chesterfield family put into action while trick or treating Halloween night.

The Gutierrez kids were collecting candy in the Smoketree neighborhood when they came upon a house with a candy bucket outside the front door.

The Ellsworth family had other Halloween plans and left the candy-filled bucket out for kids who came to their door.

By the time the Gutierrez family arrived, the candy bowl was empty.

The Ellsworth family's Ring doorbell camera captured what happened next on video.

The video showed big sister Rose walk up the front steps and look into the empty bowl.

"No more candy," she told her siblings as she started to walk away.

RAW: Children refill stranger's empty Halloween candy bowl


But then the 11-year-old Midlothian Middle School student reached into her own candy bag, grabbed a handful of treats, walked back up the stairs, and put her candy into the empty bowl.

Her five-year-old brother Sam and sister Christina followed suit.

"It's OK. I got a lot," five-year-old Sam, dressed as Beetlejuice, said as he reached into his candy-filled backpack and made his contribution.

While their actions lasted less than a minute, they lingered with the Ellsworths.

The couple was floored when they reviewed their Ring video to determine at what time they ran out of candy.

"Our jaws dropped. We saw these kids walk up and they just turned right around and put candy back in a bowl. I was like, 'Oh my God!' Jenni Ellsworth said. "We both couldn't stop talking about it. We were talking about it all night. [Our] girls were talking about it. I mean, I don't even know if my kids would do that. It was incredible. And so [husband Ian's] first instinct was to share this [video]. He said there's so much negativity, we need to put some positivity out there."

Ian said he wanted to make sure the Gutierrez parents knew about their children's awesome act.

"I wanted to let them know what their kids are doing when they're not around," Ian Ellsworth said.

Rose Gutierrez said the kindness she and her siblings showed on Halloween was a direct result of her parents' guidance.

"Before we went trick or treating, my dad told us to put candy in the baskets that don't have any for the little kids," Rose said. "We have just been trying to be kind everywhere we go. We try to be kind to everyone."

The parental advice resonated with her little brother too.

Gutierrez family 01.png
The Gutierrez family

"Be kind to everybody and try to be kind everywhere you go," the five-year-old said of his family motto.

In a show of appreciation for their kind act, the Ellsworths offered the Gutierrez family a stay at their beach home.

Ellsworth family 01.png
Ian and Jenni Ellsworth

"I feel that the children replenishing the bowl meant more to me than what I was able to give back," Ian said. "Energy is put out both positive and negative. When you put out positive energy that spreads. When people are angry, that spreads quicker. So it's good to slow down and put out the good vibes because it always comes back. Karma is a real thing."

Do you know about a good news story happening in your community? Click hereto email WTVR.com and the CBS 6 News team.

EAT IT, VIRGINIA restaurant news and interviews

CBS6-News-at-4pm-and-Jennifer-Hudson-480x360.jpg

Entertainment

Watch 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' weekdays at 3 p.m. on CBS 6!

📱 Download CBS 6 News App
The app features breaking news alerts, live video, weather radar, traffic incidents, closings and delays and more.