At the Restaurant: Part I

I have a friend who is a single mom with three teenagers; she serves at the restaurant where I am a part-time manager.  Money is tight frequently and she is easily stressed when funds are limited and rent is late.  Because of circumstances, she is often depressed and sometimes feels helpless and overwhelmed.  I approached her last week with the money, the wristband, and the pay-it-forward flyer.  She has been trying to take a vacation for some time now to see a girlfriend in another state.  Since the restaurant business is typically slow after Christmas and through the cold weather, as she saves a little for the trip, it is immediately exhausted by other bills.

When I gave her the envelope, she thought that it was money from my husband and me.  When I told her that it was from my company, she was speechless.  I realized that it really does make a difference when someone you do not know helps you unexpectedly.  I am not sure if she will be able to use the money to take a trip as she had planned, but for her, just knowing that you can still believe in the goodness of people has made a real difference.  She wore the bracelet all night during her shift and commented that now she will have to make an effort to find someone to help in some way.  I know that she will find someone to pay-it-forward, she just needs to figure that part out.