Robert Reed is sixty years old and works as a caretaker at the Farmington School in Germantown, Tennessee. Because he was friendly and ready to help others, he became popular with his coworkers less than a year after working there.
Still, many people at the school knew that Reed didn’t have a car, which sometimes made it hard for him to get to and from work. At that point, the people at the school decided they had to take things into their own hands and decided to put together a fundraiser to help pay for his truck.
Life is not easy when you have to walk long distances, take three buses to get to work, and clean an entire school by yourself.
Photo Credits – YouTube / WREG News Channel 3
Robert did this exercise every single day of the week. When his shift was over, he had to take three buses and walk an extra two kilometres to get home.
Reed told WMC-TV, “Let’s say I get off work at three o’clock.” I usually get home around 7 p.m. because I live close to Millbranch and Winchester.
Robert’s coworkers liked him so much that they would drive him to the bus stop and then help him get on the bus.
Photo Credits – YouTube / WREG News Channel 3
“To get there, I have to walk two miles and take three buses. Everyone in the faculty drove me to the bus stop on the way here. They kept giving it to me even though I didn’t have any money on me. In an interview with WMC-TV, he said, “I’m telling you, this is a family in Farmington.”
Reed’s teacher at Farmington Elementary, Elizabeth Malone, was moved by his story and felt compelled to do more for him. She chose to start a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for him to buy a truck.
His boss says that when he’s done with his daily tasks, he “LOOKS for things to do around campus,” which is what the fundraiser’s description says he does. Every day, he goes above and beyond to meet the needs of our building and meet its requirements.
In less than 24 hours, the goal of the online fundraising campaign to raise $7,000 was reached, and people continued to give money.
Photo Credits – YouTube / WREG News Channel 3
On February 19, the team told Reed about their plan for what to do next. Reed fell to his knees because of how strongly he felt about the news. Malone said they were trying to raise money to buy the 60-year-old a truck. This made the man start to cry.
In an interview with WMC-TV, Malone said, “We just want our kids to pick up on it.” Malone told the group, “It’s very important that you do that if you see someone in need.” You should not only have a good work attitude, but you should also give back to your community if you can.
At the time this article was written, donations were very close to hitting $50,000, which is five times Malone’s goal.
Reed finally got the truck of his dreams, a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 in the shade of red he loves. He now has his lawn service as a side business, and many local businesses have joined forces to give him the tools he needs.
Reed said this about the other people he worked with at the school: “I adore these folks up here.” These are wonderful. I don’t think I would still be alive if it wasn’t for them. It’s fun to work here. Undiluted happiness
