Small acts of kindness can have the biggest impact, and TikTok user Demi Lee has experienced this firsthand. After visiting a 7-Eleven gas station in Las Vegas to pick up some lighter fluid, Lee learned that the cashier had been working for hours without a break to stop and have a meal. Instead of simply sympathizing with him and going on about her day, the kindhearted customer promised to return with dinner for the overworked employee. According to Lee, he didn’t think she’d actually make good on her word.
To the hardworking cashier’s surprise, Lee did return later that night with a full plate of food for the man. She recorded as she prepared the delicious-looking plate, loaded it in her car, and drove up to the mostly deserted 7-Eleven. When she walked in the door, the same employee let out an audible gasp. “I told you I was coming back,” she quips in the video. Lee captured the man on camera as he excitedly opened her surprise care package to reveal a home-cooked meal of macaroni and cheese, beans, and ribs. “You’re the best,” he tells Lee, holding up his hands in a gesture of gratitude. “I’m eating it right now!”
After Lee posted her random act of kindness on TikTok, it immediately went viral. The video has received almost 6 million views, more than 1 million likes, and almost 9,000 comments since it was posted on December 13. Many of the commenters mention how good the food looks, while most praise Lee for her thoughtful act. “As a gas station worker specifically night shift, y'all have no idea how much the smallest things mean to us. Lots of negative people walk in daily,” one person wrote.
“Over the years there's been so many times I've worked the holidays because I didn't have any kids. And when someone would bring me a plate of food that they cooked themselves, I thanked them so much, and then when they left, I went by myself and cried like a baby,” another commenter added.
Due to the positive reaction the first video was receiving, Lee decided to make a part two and return to the 7-Eleven to visit the cashier and let him know that the video had gone viral. Upon seeing her again, he immediately reached out to shake her hand and thank her for her kindness. “I was hungry too, and I couldn’t get out of here,” he says, explaining how much the food meant to him. “I had worked 16 hours that day. You made my day.”
Since her first attempt went so well, Lee has even decided to continue feeding the hardworking gas station employees of her community. She takes suggestions in the comments as to where she should make her next surprise visit. You can even help her out by giving a donation so she can purchase ingredients to make home-cooked meals for the underappreciated workers in her area. Be sure to follow Lee on TikTok to keep up with her impromptu care package deliveries.
TikTok user Demi Lee brought a plate of food to an employee at a 7-Eleven gas station who had no break to eat.
@demilee64He thought I was lying. Couldn't wait to see the look on his face 😂##fypシ ##SnowballFightAgainstHunger♬ original sound – Demi Lee'
Her simple act of kindness went viral, so she made a part two to let the grateful cashier know.
@demilee64Part 2 as promised , safe to say he enjoyed it ❤️♬ original sound – Demi Lee'
Demi Lee: TikTok
h/t: [Upworthy]
All images via Demi Lee.
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