A GoFundMe campaign for one Indiana teen has gone viral after a supporter snapped a picture of him sporting a neck brace and a sling while still working the counter at an Avon, Ind., Chick-fil-A.
According to the New York Post, Jakeem Tyler, a student at Avon High School, was not expected to be working at his local Chick-fil-A last Thursday. Jakeem had gotten injured in a car accident a week earlier and was still wearing a neck brace and a sling. His employers and co-workers encouraged him to go back home.
However, the teen was determined to continue working. One Indianapolis resident, Cameron Nelson, happened to go to the Avon Chick-fil-A and asked Jakeem what had happened.
Jakeem explained the accident but then said he needed the cash and also wanted to help the homeless this Christmas season. That's when Nelson jumped into action, taking down Jakeem's information and taking a photo of the hardworking teen, posting it to Facebook and creating a GoFundMe page.
"I think I may kick down a hundred or two on payday to help him out…he's definitely doin it for a great cause & I was amazed he's still workin despite his condition," Nelson wrote under his Facebook post.
The post has since been shared over 22,000 times. And the GoFundMe? Well, Nelson started with a goal of $2,500, but people came out in droves, with some 1,014 individuals raising $24,875 in five days for the cause.
“When I came in that day, it was just for me, a day to work and share the gospel and just to spread love around,” Jakeem told WISH as he expressed awe at the support he's been receiving.
The teen says he plans to use the money to help pay for food and clothing for the homeless.
Read more at the New York Post and WISH.