It Was Fate
A meal at 130 Diner was about to change someone’s life for the better when Paul Hullings and Tim Young walked in. A young waitress was working the late shift in the diner, which was nearly empty at 5:30 AM.
They weren’t prepared as she discreetly approached them, holding a note in her hand.
Tough Times
One of Tim and Paul’s most intense days ended with them stopping for coffee and breakfast on their way home. Their bodies desperately needed caffeine after the sleepless night they had just experienced.
However, they had no idea what this disastrous day still had in store for them when they drove in after spotting the 130 Diner’s neon sign.
Exhaustion
Paul and Tim were no strangers to adversity; in fact, they encountered it daily. Their features bore the scars of what they had seen only hours earlier.
Little did they realize that morning’s events at the deserted diner would rock them to their very core.
Breaking News
Due to her lengthy shift, Liz Woodward was also worn out. She had to continue, though. The long hours she put in took a toll, but when she stopped to consider what she was working toward, she knew she had to put up with it.
As the men entered and sat down, she observed their ragged attire and worn-out looks. When she recognized who they were, her heart pounded faster.
She Knew What She Had To Do
Paul’s confirmation came when Liz approached the men to ask for their orders. He rubbed his eyes and replied, “I need the biggest cup of coffee that you have.” The other man agreed by nodding. Liz was delighted to help.
As she made their steaming coffee, she overheard bits of their conversation. She caught a glimpse of the breaking news item on TV and instantly recognized the men’s faces.
The Picture
She watched the news while remaining motionless and holding the coffee pot in her hand. Despite raging for the majority of the night, the fire was ultimately put out.
Just an hour’s drive away, a warehouse fire had broken out. It was clear to her what had to be done.
She Had Her Own Struggles
While she patiently typed her message on their bill, Liz shook while she waited for the men to complete their coffee and meals. She cleared their plates and left them on the table, drawing a picture of an axe on one side as an afterthought.
As he picked it up, tears poured into Paul’s eyes, and started reading.
A Difficult Day
Having just read what they had just read, the two Mount Holly Fire Department firefighters were dumbfounded. While she was working any shift she could at the diner to earn enough money to cover her student debt, the young waitress was obviously going through a difficult time herself.
They were unable to tell how many difficulties she was having at home, though.
An Overnight Sensation
Tim realized his friend, Paul, was losing his motivation after spending more than 12 hours fighting a raging fire in a North Brunswick warehouse. They were exhausted by the time they conquered the fire.
When Tim realized Paul hadn’t eaten, he decided to drive to the 130 Diner to get him something to eat.
Breakfast, On Her
A major change was about to occur in Liz’s life. They posted her note to Facebook immediately after reading it, where it gained a lot of attention. There were thousands of likes, comments, and shares on the firefighters’ posts!
Within a short period of time, Liz was recognized by the people on the street. In the blink of an eye, she became famous on Facebook. What was the note about?
Problems Of Her Own
“Your breakfast is on me today – Thank you for all that you do; for serving others & for running into the places everyone else runs away from,” Liz wrote.
“No matter your role, you are courageous, brave, and strong… Thank you for being bold every day! Fueled by fire and driven by courage – what an example you are. Get some rest.”
She Needed Help
“I started tearing up, and it made me feel good – us firefighters are wanted, people care about us,” Paul told WPVI-TV. But it was only after the post went viral that the firefighters learned that Liz had some serious problems of her own.
They found Liz’s GoFundMe account online and knew they had to take action.
Her Dad
“Such a selfless and kind act. I definitely urge my friends to make a trip out and support the business, and if Liz happens to be your waitress, tip big,” Tim wrote on the Facebook post.
“Turns out, the young lady who gave us a free meal is really the one that could use the help….”
Raising Money
“We have rented a van before, twice actually, so that my Dad could attend his father’s funeral and his daughter’s graduation since transport isn’t covered unless your trip is deemed medically necessary (and it’s very expensive out of pocket, even to rent for a few hours),” Liz wrote on her GoFundMe page.
“It was the first time since his aneurysm ruptured that he was able to interact with family members and friends he hadn’t seen in years.”
Steve
After Liz’s dad had suffered an aneurysm, he was left wheelchair-bound. Liz was trying to raise money with her GoFundMe campaign to buy him a wheelchair-accessible van to make his life a little easier.
Paul and Tim were touched that their waitress was, once again, thinking about how she could better the lives of the people around her.
Raising Awareness
“We watched my father smile, and we witnessed joy and accomplishment, and we watched his memory strengthen with every person who left his side in disbelief that he could remember exactly who they were and what got them in trouble back in the day,” Liz continued.
“See, my Dad is still Steve. He’s just Steve, who survived a brain injury and now uses a wheelchair. He deserves to be Steve and not just a patient or a number on a chart.”
Donations Pour In
Awareness of Liz’s campaign quickly grew as more and more people saw Paul and Tim’s Facebook posts about her kind deed. Soon, donations began to pour in from people all over the world.
The campaign’s goal was $17,000, but in just a few days, the amount that had been donated doubled and then tripled.
A Big Reward
The amount that was raised by kind-hearted donors exceeded $70,000 – more than enough to buy a brand-new hydraulic lift and van for Liz’s dad! And all because she saw two exhausted firefighters and knew she had to do something to make their day a little brighter.
She never expected to reap such a huge reward.
A Big Reward
As for Liz, she doesn’t think that picking up the firefighters’ $15 breakfast bill was a big deal. “I know it’s being remarked as this extraordinary act. It’s small. It’s a little gesture,” Liz told WPVI.
She certainly never expected her act of kindness to snowball into such a grand gesture from her heroes!
After exceeding the campaign’s fundraising goal, Liz wrote a heartfelt thank-you and expressed her gratitude: “Our family has witnessed an outpouring of love and support from around the world, and I want to thank each and every one of you beautiful human beings for making this dream possible!”
It just goes to show that it really pays off to be kind.