This Server Learned In A Big Way That "Paying It Forward" Is Always The Right Way To Go
by N/A, 9 years ago |
3 min read
Pay it forward, people. You never know what a simple act of kindness will do for someone.
This is Liz Woodward, a 24-year-old server at 130 Diner in Delran, New Jersey.
Recently, she served a table of two exhausted firefighters last week who came in at 5:30 a.m. and asked for “the biggest cup of coffee they had,†according to Today.
The two firefighters, Tim Young and Paul Hullings, had just returned from ousting a large warehouse fire in nearby North Brunswick.
In a moment of pure kindness, Woodward decided to cover their bill and left a sweet note thanking them for their service.
The note read:
“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. No matter your role, you are courageous, brave, and strong… Thank you for being bold and badass everyday! Fueled by fire and driven by courage — what an example you are. Get some rest!â€
Young was so touched by the gesture that he posted a photo of the note on Facebook and encouraged his friends to patronize the diner.
But the two firefighters also found out something about Liz. Her father, Steve, is a paraplegic and was in desperate need of a wheelchair-accessible van.
She had even started a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for the van so that they would be able to travel as a family.
So immediately, the two firefighters took to social media to help spread the word about her dad's campaign.
The initial goal was $17,000, but with the fire department's help, the campaign ended up raising over $60,000. Young and Hullings even went to Woodward’s house to meet her whole family.
Woodward told ABC affiliate WPVI-TV:
“All I did was pay for their breakfast, and I didn’t think anything would come about it except they would leave with a smile.
“The message is to be kind to each other, to pay it forward when you can — that even the smallest gestures can change somebody’s life.â€
Moral of the story? Paying it forward always ends well for everyone.
