Employees at the Starbucks on campus set up a GoFundMe to help fellow employee, Karen Collinsworth, with the purchase of a car.
Cassie Gray, one of Collinsworth’s coworkers, started the GoFundMe. Meanwhile, Jaiden Chevelle, another Starbucks employee, posted about the fundraiser on her Facebook page, where it garnered traction.
Through social media shares and word of mouth, over $35,000 has been raised for Collinsworth so far. Chevelle says that she is happy with the outcome of the fundraiser because Collinsworth is deserving of this type of treatment.
“It honestly feels amazing,” Chevelle said. “I never expected it to blow up as big as it did, but I’m really glad that it did because she deserves all of that and more. She’s honestly just amazing.”
Over one thousand donations have been made. The top donation was made by President Brad D. Smith; he gave $5,000 to the cause. The goal is now set at $40,000.
Collinsworth said that the sheer amount of people donating means more to her than the amount of money.
“It’s just amazing,” she said. “They set the goal for ten thousand, and I just started laughing when I found out. Then it kept growing and growing.”
Collinsworth said that people have told her that this whole situation feels like a reality show because they are on their phones watching what people are saying about her and the amount of donations being made in her honor.
Collinsworth is grateful for her fellow Starbucks employees and says that she is lucky to work with a group of people who all care about one another.
“At Starbucks, we’re like family anyway,” she said. “I’ve been there for 13 years, and the kids come and go, but there just ends up being a bond between us. I knew they loved me. We just love each other, and we tell each other every day.
“We’re always behind the line saying, ‘I love you,’” Collinsworth went on to say. ”They’re just a really good group of kids, and they care about me. We just all care about each other back there. I’m just really lucky.”
