Janitor Who Walks Miles To Work Fell To His Knees When Coworkers Raised Money Of $7,000 For His New Car

Robert Reed, 60, works as a janitor at Farmington School in Germantown, Tennessee. Less than a year after beginning his career, his friendly attitude and desire to help others made him a staff favorite.

Yet a lot of people at the school noticed that Reed didn’t have a car, which made it difficult for him sometimes to go to work. At that point, the school community made the decision to take matters into their own hands by organizing a fundraiser to support his truck purchase.

When you have to go long distances on foot, take three buses to get to work, and clean an entire school, life is anything but easy.

Every day of the week, Robert did this. He had to board three buses once more and walk an additional two kilometers to return home after his workday was finished.

Say I get off at three o’clock, said Reed to WMC-TV. “I stay near Millbranch and Winchester, so I would arrive home around seven.”

Coworkers would drive Robert to the bus stop, where he boarded the bus since he was so widely liked.

“I have a two-mile walk and three bus trips to make. I’ve been driven to the bus stop by all of the teachers. Even when I had no money, they still gave it to me. I’m telling you, this is a family in Farmington,” he said to WMC-TV.

Reed’s teacher at Farmington Elementary, Elizabeth Malone, was moved to do more for him, so she started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a truck purchase for him.

After finishing his daily chores, according to his boss, he “LOOKS for jobs to do around the campus,” according to the fundraiser’s description. He provides for the needs of our facility every day by going above and beyond.

The online fundraising campaign reached its $7,000 goal in less than 24 hours, and donors continued to contribute.

On February 19, the crew met Reed and revealed their plan. Reed was so shocked by this news that he fell to his knees. After Malone explained that they were raising money to buy the 60-year-old a truck, the man started to cry.

“We just want our kids to pick up on that,” Malone told WMC-TV of the man’s incredible work ethic. “It’s important for you to do that if you see someone in need,” Malone said. “Not only should you have a solid work ethic, but you should also, if you can, give.”

As of this writing, the fundraising has nearly reached $50,000, which is five times the goal Malone set for himself.

The vehicle of Reed’s dreams—a 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 in his preferred shade of red—arrived. He is now operating his own lawn service on the side, and other local companies have banded together to provide him with the necessary equipment.

Reed said of his coworkers at the school, “I love these people up here. I love them. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to survive. Working here is enjoyable. Purely joyful

You can watch the video below:

What are your thoughts on this touching story? How would you respond if you learned that your coworkers came together to help you in this manner? Please share this with your family and friends and let us know in the comments!