The people of Tappahannock, Virginia, showed exactly what it means to be a true, kind-hearted person in October 2021 when they came together to help a member of the community.
Several of them had been frequenting a fast-food restaurant in the area and were used to seeing one of the senior workers there almost every single day. The drive-thru employee by the name of Lisa Bateman was always ready to work with a smile on her face and a friendly hello to give to all of her customers.
The community really adored and appreciated Bateman for making a mundane experience an extraordinary one, as she always remembered her customers and their orders. She could recognize them just from the sounds of their voices through the drive-thru intercom.
Jason Cunningham and Jaki Vazquez were two of the fast-food restaurant’s typical customers who had gotten used to seeing Bateman and had always enjoyed being in her company — even if it was just for a few minutes. When they realized that the 60-year-old woman walked one mile to work every day down Tappahannock Boulevard, they knew that they wanted to do something special to show just how much they cared for her.
The community started a GoFundMe page for Bateman in hopes that they would be able to raise enough money to help her out and make sure she wouldn’t have to walk to work through the changing weather conditions ever again. When the senior employee saw her surprise, she was brought to tears. Read on to find out more about this heartwarming story.
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Customers at the Burger King in Tappahannock were used to seeing Bateman at the drive-thru with an ever-present smile on her face. “You go through the drive-thru at any given time and she’s just as sweet,” Cunningham told WTVR
According to WTVR, Bateman has worked at the fast-food restaurant since 1987 and loves her job. However, she had to walk one mile to get to work for seven years. Bateman lost her car after getting laid off from a second job, but she never lost her positive attitude.
“I see her walking all the time and I figured it would be nice to do something like this for someone in our community,” Cunningham said.
The community started a GoFundMe for Bateman and raised just over $4,200 for her. According to WTVR, 135 people donated in less than two weeks. The money was used to buy a new car for Bateman, and the community made sure to give her any leftover change to help pay for the car’s insurance.
They purchased a low-mileage maroon 2007 Buick and surprised Bateman with it after her shift one day in October 2021.
“We as a town of Tappahannock wanted to show you a little bit of appreciation for your hard work, for always giving us positive energy,” Vazquez told Bateman, as she handed her the keys to her new car.
Bateman immediately became overwhelmed with emotions and cried: “Oh my God! Thank you so much!” It was a heartfelt moment between the worker and her loyal customers. “In under two weeks we were able to gather all this money between a small community,” Vazquez said. “It just shows she is appreciated.”
What did you think about this heartwarming story? Have you ever helped someone in your community? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends, too.
