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Teenager Went To Work Wearing Neck Brace And Arm Sling, Wanted To Feed The Homeless During Christmas

By Tito Ojo-Medubi
Published on: 03:57 PST, Dec 14, 2016

A teenager was in for a surprise when he went to work in a neck brace and arm sling, CBC News, is reporting. Jakeem Tyler, an Indiana Chick-fil-A employee had been involved in a car crash, but was bent on going to work and keeping his promise of feeding the homeless during the holiday season.

Customer Cameron Nelson was at the restaurant to eat and noticed the young man trying to count his change with one hand. Nelson said he was amazed that the teen despite his constraints was hard at work. According to Nelson, when he asked Tyler why he was still on the job and not at home, the teen said he needed the money and had promised to feed the homeless during Christmas. The teen had planned on buying food for the homeless via a local charity organization known as Homeless Hoosiers.

“I saw this young man with a neck brace and a sling. We sneeze too hard and decide to call in, but he’s working like nothing’s wrong. When I placed my order, I asked him what happened…he said he was involved in a car accident, but he was working because he needs the money and also wants to feed the homeless for Christmas…I was amazed he’s still working despite his condition.”

Nelson opened a GoFundMe page for Jakeem Tyler with the hope of raising around $2,500 for him. As of the time of this report, donations have exceeded the $11,000 mark. Nelson said Jakeem’s parents spoke highly of their son describing him an individual passionately dedicated towards helping the underprivileged.

His employer, Chick-fil-A, also had nice words for him.

“Jakeem is a phenomenal young man and an outstanding team member. He is an inspiration both in terms of his work ethic and commitment to serving others. We are beyond proud of Jakeem and support his efforts to serve the homeless in our community.”

According to ABC 13, employees at another Chick-fil-A restaurant in Georgia also made out time to play with a little boy who was bound in a wheelchair. According to the boy’s mom, she was attending “Galaxy Night” with her 8-year-old son, Caleb, who was ignored when it came to playtime with the other kids.

His mother, Kari Merriken, said she had taken her son who has spinal muscular atrophy to the event so that he would not think differently of himself and maintain a positive outlook towards life. The mother said she was surprised when employees at the restaurant filled in with Jedi reenactments and engaged in an epic lightsaber battle with her son. Merriken who was moved to tears, appreciated the workers for making her son feel special.

“I was so thankful that their hearts were moved to intervene. I feel like they re-wrote the message he had just received. It went from ‘You’re not wanted’ to ‘You’re valuable. You matter. We think you’re cool. ‘I’m so appreciative of them taking the time to give Caleb that positive message. I feel like it helped restore his confidence.”

In the same vein and still in the giving spirit of the holiday season, employees at a New York store chipped in to buy a WiiU console for a boy who they noticed was always coming to the store everyday to play the free display.

According to CBS News, workers decided to give the teen an early Christmas present. They pitched in over $300 to get him the Wii U and threw in his favorite game, Super Smash Bros, as well. The teen thought they were playing a prank on him. He finally accepted the present, wiping a tear and muttering a muted “thank you.”

Manager, Rahiem Storr posted a video of him offering the present to the teenager on behalf of those who had pitched in. The video has garnered more than a million views since it was uploaded. The video has been flooded with positive comments and a few negative ones. Manager Rahiem Storr took out time to make a follow-up video, urging trolls to see the good in a random act of kindness during the holiday season.

In another case, of someone showing kindness during the holiday season, a bus driver bought hats and gloves for his young passengers. John Lunceford could not bear seeing a 6-year-old boy sobbing because of the cold. He had noticed that the boy’s, hands and ears were red with weather and gave him his own gloves, according to the Daily Mail.

The 52-year-old who had been driving school buses for three years later went to a dollar store and bought the 6-year-old boy his own hat and pair of gloves. The army veteran purchased 10 hats and gloves, in case any child on his bus ever needed to keep warm.

[Featured Image by Highwaystarz Photography/iStockPhoto]

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