Video of Elderly Veteran Struggling To Make Delivery Snaps Community Into Action

Delivery has become an omnipresent aspect of life in quarantine. From groceries to dinner to impulse-purchases that we immediately regret, shopping online has become the default to avoid unnecessary trips to the store. On the flip side, an increase in online shopping means an increase in delivery drivers.
Sure, people making deliveries choose to do so – but often this is a choice of necessity. The unemployment rate rose to 14.7%, meaning that people were scrambling to find work to support their families and themselves. Given the flexibility and increased need for delivery drivers, many turned to the demanding job as a way to make ends meet.
When Jen Weiss from Utah ordered her groceries through DoorDash, she wasn’t home when her order arrived. After seeing footage captured by her doorbell’s video feature, however, she wished she’d been there to help. In the video, Jen watched her delivery driver – an elderly man – struggle and strain to get the groceries to her front door.
With his back hunched, the man took one step after another with great care, putting all of his effort into keeping his footing. He leaned against the wall to stay balanced, putting care into protecting both Jen’s groceries and himself. Finally, the elderly man makes it to the house’s front door at which point he bends down and completes his delivery.
“He was really having a hard time getting up the stairs,” Jen told Inside Edition. “He was losing his balance, unsteady – I felt really bad.”
Jen was heartbroken, realizing the man was likely delivering groceries out of necessity. She shared the footage on social media, where viewers had the same gut-wrenching reaction. The man obviously needed help, but rather than asking for it, he got to work in an attempt to help himself.
Thanks to the power of social media, a relative of the man saw the footage and Jen was finally able to connect with her delivery driver. As it turns out, Jen was absolutely right about the elderly man’s situation – he needed money, and he had no other options.
If the video wasn’t distressing enough, the DoorDash worker’s story added whole new layers of heartbreak. The man she now knew by the name of Larry was a veteran. Larry had a stroke earlier this year and had to learn to walk all over again during his recovery. Now, his roof was falling apart and he needed to find a way to pay for repairs.
After hearing Larry’s story, Jen wasted no time. She set up a fundraiser to help her new friend, determined to allow Larry to leave the temporary job that was physically depleting him. Ultimately, Jen’s compassion did exactly that. She saw someone who needed help, and though she had zero obligation to do so, she stepped up – and so did her community. Thanks to Jen’s kindness and the generosity of strangers, Larry never has to make another delivery again.
“He got enough to fix his roof, and retire,” Jen said.