MANCHESTER TENNESSEE, Brittany Smith, a woman from Manchester, Tennessee, stepped in to help an elderly DoorDash driver named Richard who was working to support his sick wife after she lost her job and access to affordable healthcare, launching a GoFundMe fundraiser that has raised more than $212,000.
The act of kindness has drawn widespread attention online, highlighting how strangers sometimes come together to help people facing financial hardship.
Brittany Smith said she decided to help after a DoorDash delivery from Richard, who appeared to be in his seventies, left her concerned about his situation.
Smith shared footage from her Ring camera showing the elderly driver dropping off her Starbucks order as part of the fundraising initiative she launched. As of Thursday morning, the campaign had raised more than $212,000 from thousands of donors.
“It was evident from the video that this was a difficult task for him,” Smith said in a video explaining why she decided to help. “He is precious and he is not working because he wants to; he’s working because he has to.”
After posting the video, Smith said she was able to locate Richard through social media and learned more about the couple’s situation.
According to Smith, Richard had been working DoorDash deliveries to help cover household expenses and medical costs for himself and his wife.
She explained that Richard’s wife had recently lost her job through no fault of her own, leaving the couple struggling financially.
“His wife was fired from her job at no fault of her own, and by the time they pay their monthly expenses there is nothing left,” Smith wrote while promoting the fundraiser.
Smith launched the GoFundMe campaign with the goal of helping Richard return to retirement and easing the financial burden facing the couple.
The fundraiser quickly gained attention online, and thousands of people contributed donations to support the effort.
By Thursday morning, more than 7,400 people had donated to the campaign, helping raise more than $212,000 to assist Richard and his wife with their expenses.
