A Tennessee Woman Spotted An Elderly Man Working As A Doordash Driver. Her Efforts To Help Him Retire Have Already Raised $510k

A Tennessee female says she is “floored” aft she launched a GoFundMe that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for an elderly DoorDash driver.

Brittany Smith of Manchester, Tennessee, told The Independent she launched a GoFundMe for a 78-year-old man named Richard aft she saw him “struggling” to climb stairs while delivering a DoorDash bid earlier this week. The GoFundMe, titled “Give Richard a Chance to Rest Again,” has raised much than $510,000 arsenic of Friday.

“I had nary thought that I was going to summation that overmuch traction,” she said.

Smith called nan consequence “overwhelming,” but said she’d “do it complete again successful a heartbeat.” She hopes nan costs will thief Richard spell backmost into retirement.

“Richard said he's not slept successful 2 days because he can't discontinue watching nan GoFundMe,” she added.

The saga began Tuesday, erstwhile Smith discovered her daughter’s begetter had ordered Starbucks for her.

“I was really huffy astir it, because he often orders Starbucks for her, but we effort to do it arsenic much of a reward, and this was nan 3rd clip he had ordered for her successful nan week,” she said. “So, I spot nan Ring doorbell spell off, and I'm like, you've sewage to beryllium kidding me, he had Starbucks sent again.”

When Smith clicked connected nan Ring doorbell app, she saw a “little aged man stepping up nan steps.”

“This mediocre feline is struggling to get up my stairs to present my very tin girl her Starbucks,” she said. “My daughter's dada is simply a quadriplegic, truthful he often has things sent to nan location because he can't physically spell get them.”

The 20-second clip shows nan aged man, dressed successful a reddish garment and khakis, gripping nan handrail and climbing a mini group of stairs earlier dropping nan transportation astatine nan beforehand door.

After watching nan footage, Smith told her daughter’s begetter to nonstop a bigger extremity done nan app — but he wasn’t capable to. That’s erstwhile she turned to societal media for help.

“I posted nan video virtually conscionable looking for this man's name,” she said.

A Facebook user, who recognized Richard because he had regularly delivered DoorDash orders to her office, reached retired and passed on his afloat name, Smith said.

Smith declined to supply Richard’s past sanction to The Independent, and said he asked her to withhold it.

She was capable to way down Richard’s address, and moreover verified that nan car successful his driveway matched nan 1 she saw connected nan Ring doorbell. Then, she knocked connected his doorway and offered him a $200 tip.

“Before he accepted nan money … he wanted to make judge that I was going to beryllium OK if he accepted that money from me,” she said.

Richard explained that he started delivering for DoorDash aft his wife, who requires “very expensive” medication, mislaid her occupation done nary responsibility of her own, Smith said. After paying for their necessities, nan mates didn’t person capable near over, truthful Richard started utilizing nan transportation app to supplement their income, Smith added.

When Smith returned home, nan footage had gone viral connected TikTok, and countless commenters were asking really they could help. That inspired her to motorboat nan GoFundMe connected Wednesday greeting — and her telephone “has not stopped buzzing” since, she said.

GoFundMe is “working straight pinch nan fundraiser organizer to thief guarantee each costs safely scope nan beneficiary,” a spokesperson for nan level told The Independent. More than 12,000 group had donated arsenic of Thursday evening.

“He's much precious successful person, truthful I'm gladsome that I sewage to meet him,” Smith said.

DoorDash, a nutrient transportation app, allows users to some spot orders and motion up to beryllium transportation drivers. These drivers must beryllium 18 years aliases older, person a conveyance and supply a valid shape of ID, according to nan app’s website.

The Independent has contacted DoorDash for comment.