How Hell's Angels Became Toy Angels in the Hood

What I witnessed explains why you can't judge a book by its cover

3 min readDec 5, 2022

It was the end of a long day in a public school. It was a quiet day, but working with needy kids can drain the soul from a saint. However, the wife needed me to run some errands after work, and I know she could use the help since her health scare a year ago. I was making my last stop at the local dollar store when I spotted two white guys looking curiously out of place in this neighborhood. They looked like they participated in the Jan 6th attack on the Capital. Yes, I was judging and allowing my bias to show, but we all have them. The secret is to recognize and do something about our assumptions.

I was walking up when they said hello. I was somewhat startled that they said anything, and if you read my post about why I don't say hi in the Midwest, you will understand. I stopped because I am polite and was curious about these two fellows in my neck of the woods.

They told me they were members of the local Hell's Angels. So once again, what are these dudes doing here? But I didn't have to wait long for an answer to my question.

They were collecting toys for kids in need. They continued by stating that all kids are welcome to pick up a toy. I stood there and hoped my eyes didn't betray me and told how surprised I was by what these guys said.

They told me about their Facebook page and gave me the giveaway date. If I knew any kids in need, they wanted me to send them their way for a toy. I told them I was a teacher and would spread the word to my kids.

The Hell’s Angels are considered to be an organized crime syndicate, and according to the Justice Department, the group sells meth and marijuana.

However, these two guys were peddling toys, not drugs. They were offering a service to a community you wouldn't expect them to care about. I was impressed by their service, so I bought a small toy and placed it in the bin. I shook their hands and said thank you.