Friday, January 18, 2008
One Inspiring Tip
In my line of work, you have to do a lot of sad stories. Murders, fires, and plenty of examples of humanity at its worst. This week, I had the chance to do a story about just the opposite: one person making a difference and inspiring others to do the same.
Marlena Hayes is a 26-year-old waitress at a Mimi's Cafe in Overland Park. She's also a full-time student, studying respiratory therapy at Kansas City Kansas Community College. As you can imagine, money is tight.
Earlier this week, she was discussing the high price of college textbooks with a co-worker as she waited tables at her job. She mentioned that books cost her $400 dollars this semester, an expense that made it all the more difficult to make ends meet.
One of her customers, a woman having dinner with her two young children, overheard Marlena's concerns. And she did something about it. When Marlena collected the woman's payment after her family left, she found a note. It said: "I overheard. Good luck in school. $400 for books."
At first, Marlena thought it was a joke. But she fanned out the money and it was all there. Three $100 dollar bills, a couple of twenties and other smaller notes, adding up to 400 bucks. Marlena couldn't believe it. A co-worker actually held her in the back room as she shook from the emotion of the moment. For the first time in two months, Marlena went to bed that night and didn't worry about money.
We ran the story on Wednesday and it was picked up by CNN.com. I've gotten responses from all over the country, from Orlando to Detroit. People were moved and inspired by this random act of kindness. Several people want to donate more money to Marlena, including one person who wants to pay for her books next semester.
Marlena still doesn't know who her generous customer is. She hopes the kind woman will come back into the restaurant soon so she can be thanked properly. Marlena plans to take pictures of herself at school and studying, so she can give them to her benefactor.
What this one woman did not only helped a young woman pursue her dream, she has now inspired many people (including me) to think about how we can help others, even in small ways. Marlena's life has been changed. Others have been inspired. All thanks to one kind gesture. Now that's some good news.
Marlena Hayes is a 26-year-old waitress at a Mimi's Cafe in Overland Park. She's also a full-time student, studying respiratory therapy at Kansas City Kansas Community College. As you can imagine, money is tight.
Earlier this week, she was discussing the high price of college textbooks with a co-worker as she waited tables at her job. She mentioned that books cost her $400 dollars this semester, an expense that made it all the more difficult to make ends meet.
One of her customers, a woman having dinner with her two young children, overheard Marlena's concerns. And she did something about it. When Marlena collected the woman's payment after her family left, she found a note. It said: "I overheard. Good luck in school. $400 for books."
At first, Marlena thought it was a joke. But she fanned out the money and it was all there. Three $100 dollar bills, a couple of twenties and other smaller notes, adding up to 400 bucks. Marlena couldn't believe it. A co-worker actually held her in the back room as she shook from the emotion of the moment. For the first time in two months, Marlena went to bed that night and didn't worry about money.
We ran the story on Wednesday and it was picked up by CNN.com. I've gotten responses from all over the country, from Orlando to Detroit. People were moved and inspired by this random act of kindness. Several people want to donate more money to Marlena, including one person who wants to pay for her books next semester.
Marlena still doesn't know who her generous customer is. She hopes the kind woman will come back into the restaurant soon so she can be thanked properly. Marlena plans to take pictures of herself at school and studying, so she can give them to her benefactor.
What this one woman did not only helped a young woman pursue her dream, she has now inspired many people (including me) to think about how we can help others, even in small ways. Marlena's life has been changed. Others have been inspired. All thanks to one kind gesture. Now that's some good news.
Posted at 9:41 AM
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