TikToker Raises Over $180K to Help 81-Year-Old Walmart Employee Pay Off Mortgage
Here's how a chance encounter changed an elderly lady's life.
Who says social media doesn't have the impact to change lives?
Nola Carpenter, an 81-year-old Walmart employee was just gifted a whopping $110,000, thanks to a chance encounter she had with a TikToker.
Carpenter is a senior employee at Walmart who'd been working hard to pay off the mortgage of her house. As is the world in 2023, sometimes all it takes is a little bit of social media love to really get the ball moving.
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Carpenter now has almost enough money to pay off her house — and it all started from a simple 15-second TikTok...
One Woman’s Exhaustion and Resignation Caught on Camera
@dbon973 :/ I feel bad. #fyp #blowthisup #sad #walmart
A caption on a now-viral video started it all.
"I feel bad," reads the caption from Devan Bonagura (@dbon973) in a quick video that captures Carpenter resting in a Walmart breakroom while on shift.
The in-video text reads, “life shouldn’t be this hard…” overlayed across Carpenter, unaware she's being filmed.
In the video, the 81-year-old looks pensive and exhausted. Bonagura chose to use the opportunity to make a change in her life.
Devan Takes to TikTok and TikTokers Take to GoFundMe
The video Bonagura posted on social media of a sad-looking Carpenter quickly went viral. The TikToker then set up a GoFundMe page in an effort to give the senior some financial help.
In a wonderful example of the good social media can do, within a day, people had donated so much money to help Carpenter that she had more than $110,000 headed her way.
Following up on his initial video — which had over 85,000 views — Bonagura reached out to Nola and her daughter and asked to meet him in a local parking lot.
Bonagura approaches Mrs. Carpenter, explains what he’s doing, and then reveals that people had raised more than $110,000 for the elder, thanks to donations from all the people who had seen the initial TikTok.
@dbon973 WE LOVE YOU NOLA I HOPE THIS HELPS❤️🙏 #blowthisup #fyp #gofundme #nola #walmart #viralvideo
Carpenter admits she had kept working so as not to lose the family's home after her husband had been injured in accident years earlier.
The 81-year-old can be heard insisting she'd still have to work — even after receiving the gift.
"I'd accept it, but I'd still have to work until I get the other $60,000 paid off the house," she told Bonagura, seemingly unphased by the donations raised. While agreeing that the large sum would help, Carpenter said that the mortgage would "go way down" and it wouldn't "take long now" to save up the remaining amount.
People Keep Coming Through for “Boss Lady” Nola
Well, it wouldn't take long.
Bonagura's GoFundMe campaign reached its goal and closed after raising $186,293 for Carpenter and her house.
Walmart's average wage is $19 for hourly workers in the US and saving $60,000 would likely have required Carpenter to work several more years.
Proving the true testament to working hard, Carpenter continued to work "into the New Year," not wanting to leave her employees out to dry.
Not a bad way to start 2023 — $180k richer and a house that's completely paid off.
Way to go, TikTok.
