Paying it forward - Uplifting story to begin the week!

March 9, 2020

Paying it forward – Uplifting story to begin the week!

Good day,

With so much troubling, worrying and negative news stories, I thought I would start a new tradition of finding positive articles, stories, or anecdotes that I would share with you to start the week. This story was shared on CNN (the link is attached at the end of the article). I have transcribed it here in case it gets removed by that webmaster at a future date.

Taking Action For A Caring Stranger

When University of South Carolina student Robert Caldaroni heard that Wendy’s worker Malcolm Coleman had lost his home, he sprung into action.

He convinced his business fraternity to start a GoFundMe for Coleman, who works across the street from the business school in Columbia, South Carolina, according to the fundraising page.

“Malcolm has gone above and beyond to care for students without expecting anything in return; now we have the opportunity to help out a friend in need,” Caldaroni explained on his Facebook page.

The worst birthday ever

Coleman’s struggles began in January 2019, when the home he shared with his mother erupted in flames on his birthday, according to a Facebook post. They could not afford repairs due to a lapse in their insurance, so he and his mom have had to stay with friends and family since then, according to the University of South Carolina’s student newspaper.

“It’s just a charred block of a building,” said fellow fundraiser Alexis Braz after visiting Coleman’s house, “It broke my heart.”

Then, shortly after the fast-food worker lost his home, he lost his father, too, according to his Facebook page.

He made a difference each and every day

Braz says that the fundraiser is the least that students can do to help the man that always brightens their day. The GoFundMe page states that he tries to build personal relationships with all his customers, and will remember students names even if he has only met them a few times.

“I don’t think it’s possible to have a conversation with Malcolm without smiling at some point,” she added.

Coleman is incredibly grateful for the helping hand.

“I do not take any of these beautiful acts of kindness lightly or for granted,” the Wendy’s employee wrote in a post.

According to Coleman, this generous effort by Caldaroni, Braz, and others makes his 15 years as a fast-food worker worth the struggle.

“Working in fast food isn’t easy,” he wrote, “Sometimes you feel completely disregarded as a person. …. Thank you all ever so much for loving me for me and for valuing all that I do.”

this article first appeared here on CNN

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