Even those lucky enough to avoid COVID have still felt the effects of the global pandemic that’s ruined lives, livelihoods, and a year of people’s lives. Manage to stay healthy? That’s great!  But there’s still a wracked economy, funerals on Zoom, classes on Zoom, everything on Zoom. And like much in life, you can’t control what happens, you can only control how you respond. That’s the mentality one Illinois couple took after COVID scrapped the plans for their wedding. Instead, they decided to use the non-refundable catering deposit to buy 200 Thanksgiving dinners for people in need.

That’s been one of the inspiring aspects of all of this, how normal people respond to these extraordinary circumstances. Sure, celebrities can make grandiose donations to buy entire hospitals full of PPE (thank you celebrities, we need that!), but it’s even more touching when every day folks roll up their sleeves and do what they can to help each other through this hellscape. Stories like this, or the guy who had to say goodbye to his dad over Facetime, so he helped provide dozens of iPads to hospitals so others could connect with loved ones.

In this case, Emily Bugg and Billy Lewis were supposed to be married in the fall. And they were! It was just in city hall, and not the grand wedding they had in mind when they got engaged. But they still had a $5,000 nonrefundable catering deposit to consider, so they put it to good use. They purchased 200 Thanksgiving dinners for clients of a mental health nonprofit.

Emily works for the nonprofit and wanted to help replace the organization’s yearly communal Thanksgiving dinner that had to be scrapped (also COVID).

 

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A post shared by Thresholds (@thresholdschicago)

“In the grand scheme of things, canceling a big wedding isn’t the worst thing that could happen,” she said to Good Morning America. “We’re happy to be married, and we’re so happy that we could help Thresholds’ clients feel the connection of a Thanksgiving meal as a result of the wedding cancellation.”

The catering staff boxed up the meals, which the nonprofit staff delivered to the homes of patients. The CEO said the donation was an incredible example of ‘the generosity and creativity the pandemic has inspired in so many.’

“I know that Emily’s act of kindness will inspire others to do the same and build love and connection in a difficult time, in any way we can,” he said.

Not a lot of people like their bosses (unless they work at The Dad, then, of course, they are very competent and kind people!), but this Waffle House boss is a very different story. His employee asked for time off to attend his high school graduation, then showed up to work his shift instead. His boss would not have it, and in something out of a Disney+ movie, the entire staff rallied to get him ready in hours and get him across town to get his diploma.

The Birmingham senior, Timothy Harrison, changed his mind about going because he didn’t have a ride, his cap, and gown, or tickets to the event. His boss, Cedric Hampton, had other plans. Hampton shared the incredibly touching story on Facebook, but basically, the entire staff stopped what they were doing to go overdrive to get this kid to his graduation.

They ran out to buy him some dress clothes, reached out to the school to see how they could get his cap and gown, and just turned the entire restaurant into his very own graduation prep. He thought he was going to work his shift, but his boss and co-workers had bigger plans for him. Harrison was emotional when he was fully dressed and ready to go.

“When I put on clothes, that was a different feeling. I don’t even know the words,” he said. “A million dollars? It was the best feeling.”

His boss and coworkers felt proud to help him see it through, but Harrison’s story didn’t end there. His boss shared the pics on social media, and they went crazy-viral, and now Harrison got a full college scholarship from a nearby university.

“Now he can go to college and figure out what to do in his life and we’re gonna help guide him,” Hampton said. One gesture from his boss just completely changed Harrison’s life and the directions it can take.

“To know I have a path to go somewhere? That’s something new,” said the recent graduate.

So the kid gets his scholarship, but if Waffle House HQ doesn’t do something for that boss, they are sorely missing a golden opportunity. Really, that entire staff deserves a huge bonus, because you cannot ask for better press for Waffle House. It’s hard to imagine working for a place with bosses and co-workers like that in 2021.

Because these people rule and did an incredible thing for the kid, it’s also a good time to remind everyone what U.S. poet laureate (of food) Anthony Bourdain once said about the diner chain and its place in Americana.

Anthony Bourdain describing Waffle House is the single-most important description of America that has ever been articulated. pic.twitter.com/Up2mF7yisX

— Ryan Broderick (@broderick) June 8, 2018