Students Help Raise Money for Fast Food Employee who Lost His Father and His Home [Video]

• Malcolm is a very friendly employee at a Wendy’s store near USC in Columbia.
• When their home was destroyed by a fire, his customers made sure to help him.
• The students set up a GoFundMe page to raise enough money to repair his family’s home.

Malcolm Coleman, an employee at a Wendy’s branch in Columbia, South Carolina, has become quite the “local celebrity” for being extra friendly to his customers.

The Wendy’s branch where he works is located near the University of South Carolina, where students Robert Caldaroni and Alexis Braz attend.

The two USC students can attest that Malcolm is a really nice guy who is a friend to everyone. So when they heard about his troubles, they did not hesitate to help.

In the GoFundMe page that the two students created to help Malcolm, they wrote: “Malcolm’s incredible interpersonal skills are paired with the uncanny ability to remember the name of every student who places an order. He strives to make a connection with every single student in a truly unique way.”

“I don’t think it’s possible to have a conversation with Malcolm without smiling at some point,” Alexis told CNN.

But the past year has been difficult for Malcolm—an electrical fire broke out in their home on his birthday in January 2019.

Malcolm and his mother were able to escape but their home sustained “tens of thousands of dollars in damages and is currently uninhabitable.” 

Due to an “insurance lapse,” it has been difficult for Malcolm to obtain the amount needed for the repair: a large sum of $75,000. Malcolm and his mother were forced to become homeless after 13 months.

But that was not the only challenge he’s faced.

“Last year was a[n] immensely traumatic and rough year for my mama and I,” he wrote on Facebook. “My dad died last summer as well. We are both still grieving and processing his earthly departure.”

Despite his problems, Malcolm remained as friendly as he always was.

“Despite all of this, Malcolm never complains and takes every day as a blessing,” the GoFundMe page says. “He clocks into work every night to continue taking care of his mother and puts a small portion of his check towards maybe one day being able to return home.”

So Robert and Alexis started a GoFundMe page to help Malcolm return home with his mom.

The collective donations from friends and strangers have since poured in and reached over $42,000!

Malcolm was simply awestruck with the generosity of the donations.

“I do not take any donation lightly because I know a lot of us work extremely hard to make a living,” he said. “It’s beyond humbling all of my hard work, all that I bring to the table, and just being myself is valued and appreciated. I’m still in awe of all the love I stand on.”

Source: PEOPLE