When Kim’s car broke down, she did what she had to do and left her house hours before her shift started at the fast food restaurant where she worked. She would have to walk all the way there. Money was tight and there was no way she could miss her shift. It didn’t help that it was only 19 degrees and the Missouri woman didn’t have a proper winter coat, but she was determined to make it into work that day.
So when a young man by the name of Brandon McNamee stopped to pick her up, she was visibly relieved. It’s generally not a good idea to hitchhike—or to pick up hitchhikers—but Kim was freezing and desperate times called for desperate measures.
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Little did she know that, these days, Brandon was especially tuned in to people in need. He had recently lost his brother and, in his honour, had been performing random acts of kindness whenever he could. Of course, he didn’t mention this to the stranger that he had picked up. Instead, he drove her straight to her job. When they pulled up in front of the restaurant, Brandon smiled and told Kim, “I ain’t never picked nobody up off the side of the road before. I’m just glad you didn’t kill me.”
But The Ride Was Just The Beginning...
Kim went into work, and Brandon got on social media. In a Facebook post, he told the story of what had just happened that morning. One of his friends suggested that Brandon get Kim an Uber gift card, and Brandon thought that was an excellent idea. More friends agreed; nobody wanted this poor woman to have to walk to work in the middle of winter! Donations to the gift card started pouring in thanks to Brandon’s post, and he quickly had enough cash to help with more than just Kim’s immediate need for transport.
Excitedly, Brandon returned to the restaurant. Kim was surprised to see him but approached the cash register to take his order. “Remember me from earlier?” He said.
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That’s when Brandon surprised her with an Uber gift card for $100 so she wouldn’t have to walk to work for her next several shifts. Kim was touched, but she had no idea what was coming next.
Brandon told her she that not only would she not have to worry about the next few shifts, but that he and his friends were gifting her $200 cash to get her car fixed so she could drive herself to work again and not have to rely on strangers. And in case anything else came up during the repair of Kim’s car transmission, he gave her an additional $200 to cover that.
Kim was shocked. “Thank you so much,” she said, and the biggest smile spread across her face. Brandon, who was recording the interaction, said she could thank all his friends who had offered to help that morning.
Don't Underestimate The Kindness of Strangers...
In the space of a few hours, not only had Kim been lucky enough to get a ride to work, but all of her transportation worries had just disappeared. Now she could concentrate on doing her job and making ends meet.
Brandon decided to take a chance that day, and so did Kim. And they’re both happier for it.
Two men holding certificates