Last week, Richard Pulley, a 78-year-old DoorDash driver from Tennessee, was caught on a doorbell camera trying to deliver a Starbucks order to Brittany Smith’s home in Manchester.
In the video, Pooley can be seen slowly climbing the front steps as he carries out the order, looking visibly tired.
After receiving her delivery, Smith reviewed the recording and began to wonder who he was and why someone his age still had such a physically demanding job.
Through social media, she found Pulley and learned that Pulley was forced to work because his and his wife’s retirement income was not enough to cover their basic expenses, including rent and medicine.
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GoFundMe launched
Smith was so moved by his story that he launched a fundraising campaign to fund me The title is “Give Richard a chance to rest again.”
“My name is Brittany and I’m setting up this Go Fund for Richard. Richard had a Starbucks delivered to my house via the door dashboard and it’s obvious from the video that this was his mission. With the help of social media, I found Richard and learned that he was doing DoorDash because his wife was laid off (through no fault of her own) and by the time they were paying monthly bills and buying medications, there was nothing left. Let’s help Richard get back into retirement,” she wrote in the event. Page.
The campaign quickly gained traction online and has so far raised more than $900,000.
Smith later met the Pooleys at a local burger joint and showed them the fundraiser.
The couple, who have been married for more than 56 years, said they have been touched by the generosity of strangers who have helped them enjoy their retirement.
“We’re grateful to each and every one of them… it’s taken a lot of pressure off us… and made life livable again,” Pooley told WBIR.
