There are times when a pizza delivery makes your day. This delivery changed a 76-year-old's life.
Usually the best part about getting a pizza delivered is ... the pizza.
Is there anything more beautiful? Photo by Brendan C/Flickr.
For 76-year-old Lee Haase, the best part was who delivered his.
It was pizza delivery driver Angela Nguyen who showed up at his address in Ham Lake, Minnesota, with a pizza one day. I don't think she was expecting the interaction they were about to have.
Photo by Ivory Hecker/KARE 11.
"Lee has told me that he's pretty much given up on life," she told KARE 11.
His son had died in a tragic accident. His home had been destroyed in a storm and was now unlivable. He was alone on his property, in extreme poverty, in a 12-foot camper that had no heat, no running water, and no way to shower or relieve himself.
He was confused, and most troubling, he had no plan for the approaching chilly winter months.
Angela talked to him about his circumstances and left his property that day with an entirely different mission than when she arrived.
Photo by Ivory Hecker/KARE 11.
"Living in this trailer with no heat, no sanitation whatsoever — he has no toilet — no water, nothing, is not acceptable to me," she said.
When she got home, she decided to spread the word. She launched a GoFundMe page with hopes that maybe people in the area would like to know about their fellow community member and help out if possible.
She wrote on the page, "I don't know Lee too well personally, but what I do know is he's kind, likes bluegrass music and used to love to fish. If you can help thank you. If not can you please pray?"
They delivered.
A look at Angela's GoFundMe page. The whole story is there.
In just one month, members of the community not only answered her request, they went the extra mile. More than $30,000 was raised, and hopefully even more is to come.
They all care about fellow Minnesotan Lee Haase, regardless if they know him. That's evident immediately from the comments: Strangers keep popping up with mentions of extra storage units, space heaters, blankets, groceries, gift cards — you name it. They all want to help.
The response has been so overwhelming, the new goal is to build Lee an actual home.
"It's hard to explain [how I feel]," said Lee. "Just pretty awesome."
A home!
To think, the goal started with Lee trying to eat dinner and ended with an entire community rallying around him to help him live a more comfortable, humane life.
One of the comments on the fundraising page reads, "God bless you for starting this, Angela. We need more people like you in the world."
We do need more Angelas in the world, and I think we have them. When we take time to look up once in awhile and think outside of ourselves, anything can happen.
This story is beautiful proof. See more of it from KARE 11's segment.