Kind Gesture

I think the homemade treats are great along with a homemade dinner item like the other mentioned. And if it is comfortable for you guys, an invitation to dinner. Maybe a barbecue when the weather gets nicer if a sit down dinner sounds uncomfortable. So pretty much what everybody else said, I guess. :)

If you want to bake him cookies, try oatmeal scotchies - everyone loves them.
Otherwise a $20 Starbucks gift card is very reasonable.

There are several things that you could do. Cookies would be nice, or even a casserole type dinner w/instructions on how to cook it in the oven. You could invite him to your house for dinner too and get to know him a little better. Thats great that he helped you that way. I remember living in the snow and hated shoveling snow, especially when there was a lot. I would have loved a neighbor like yours. =)

How about you just give him a thank you card with a gift card in it and he can buy for himself. If you don't know him well, he could be allergic to certain foods. Make sure he feels appreciative some how or he might stop doing it.

I like the homemade idea. I think people appreciate that.

Here's what comes to my mind when I think of a single man living alone--homemade dinner, baked goods, gas gift card, coffee place gift card, any or all with a very nice thank you card saying how much his kindness meant to you & your family. Sounds like a great guy!

Absolutely bake him the cookies or prepare a freezer meal like a lasagna for him. I'm pretty sure he'll appreciate the gesture, not to mention your sidewalks will stay nice and clean during this everlasting Chicago winter!

It sounds to me like he is reaching out to your family in friendship. I think cookies is a great idea - really anything to say thanks would be appreciated, I'm sure.

How about inviting him over for dinner one weekend or for coffee and dessert with your family? If he lives alone, he would probably appreciate knowing his neighbors.

Gift cards are always appropriate, maybe to a local restaurant? Or I like the previous suggestion of a gas card.

I like all of the ideas so far. Umm. What about a giftcard to a convience store like 7-11, Wawa, or Sheetz? (sorry, don't know what brands you have near you). That way on snowy nights when he's helping out, he can stop and get some coffee or a snack.

M.

Maybe he'd enjoy your company also. When you take the cookies, bring your photo albums and maybe he'll pull out his. It would probably make his day to reminisce and share his pictures and stories with you.

We are in a similar situation!!! My hubby is away from home 13 hours a day. I am 31 weeks along on my 4th pregnancy... Our kids are 8,5,2... This pregnancy I have been in the hospital 2 times already because of pancreatitus and Gall Stones... So I am on Modified bed rest. (meaning I can be active... Just nothing taxing.

Our neighbor 2 houses down snow blowed our drive way out of the kindness of his heart without knowing about the whole pregnancy issues when we had our first storm a few weeks ago... I called and THANKED him and his wife and verified that it was him... :-) Now we got another storm yesterday and he did the same thing... Once BEFORE he went to work, and once after he got home at night.

Hubby and I are going to be buying a gift card to a local restaurant for them as a thank you and I will also be writing a letter of thanks with it. He has 3 sons (2 of them are teens) and I want to thank him for the example that he is giving his boys and the neighborhood...

Invite him over for dinner and get to know him better... With OUR neighbor their youngest son is allergic to eggs... So I hesitate to make something just incase there are allergies... But that is something you can ask in the invitation...

Just this morning my hubby was heading out to work and our other neighbor was stuck in a snow bank... SO he helped push her out... See a need fill a need... and pay it forward. :-)

I love caring neighbors like that. We had the same sitauation. I got our neighbor a gas card w/a thank you letter.

Any gesture should be appreciated - even a hand-written note.

Another suggestion would be an invitation to have dinner with your family so you could get to know him better.

When I was going through chemo, one of the most appreciated things people did for us was to get gift cards to local restaurants. It helped not to have to worry about feeding 2 adults and 2 young children - depending on how much you'd want to spend or how personal you want to be, it's a nice gesture that you could include with a handwritten note. If he lives alone, it may be a nice opportunity for him to get out and perhaps treat a friend to dinner.

You can also return the favor later in the year by helping mow his yard, etc, getting his mail if he goes out of town, etc.

It's really nice of you to recognize that he's helped your family and appreciate his efforts.

thats so nice. i just wanted to let you know that we have a guy that comes and does this for us (we pay for this service) and each time he comes it is 25 dollars. So, thats the going rate. I think anything you do would be appreciated but, I would be sure to do something to thank him. What a great neighbor to have!

How nice of you to be thankful and even think of being kind to him. So many people now just act as though they are entitled.

If he lives alone...he probably would appreciate something home made, however, you don't know if he has any allergies, etc.

My dad lives alone and on limited income so anytime I have an opportunity to send soemthing, I send a care package like some nuts, steaks, postage stamps, etc. Things that I know he can use.

You might even give him a gift card along with cookies for gas.

You are being very sweet and kind. Hope you figure out what you want to do.

We give the family that shovels our sidewalk at our other house a gift certificate to a specialty deli. They love it.