The last thing in the job description for a pizza delivery driver would be anything about saving lives. But, that's just where Angela Nguyen, a delivery driver, found herself after meeting Lee Haase. Lee, who lived in a small, 12-foot camper, had became a regular customer for a couple of months ordering a pizza every Saturday night around 10:15. Angela's daughter, Sarah, also a delivery driver, had delivered several pizzas and got to know Lee, somewhat. When Sarah told her mother about where Lee was living, they learned that his camper had no electricity, heat, or running water. A storm had destroyed most of the roof of his previous home and he couldn't afford the repairs. Then, he lost his son to a snowmobile accident and just gave up on life, it seems. So, he moved into the tiny camper and hoped for the best. Angela was worried about Lee's safety as the colder months were approaching and he would, essentially, be living outside.
Sarah knew she had to do something. She couldn't just stand by and let this poor, old man suffer or possibly die from exposure. The first thing she did was to buy Lee a heater for his camper. She knew it would at least give him a little heat. But, she knew she needed to do more. So, she created a GoFundMe page and got the word out to her community and asked for financial help to find a better living situation for Lee. Sarah was amazed at the outpouring of generosity from not only her community, but, far-away strangers as well. She was able to raise over $32,000 and used the money to buy Lee a fully-furnished trailer so he wouldn't have to live in the camper anymore. Not only was the trailer fully furnished, but, Sarah was also able to get Lee some warm clothes as well as stocking the pantry with food just in time for the holidays.
Sarah's efforts caught the attention of the media. In a USA Today video, Angela commented, "When I first delivered to him, it was summertime, so I wasn't quite as concerned." But, remembering the cold weather approaching, she added, "Living in this trailer with no heat, no sanitation whatsoever "” he has no toilet "” no water, nothing, is not acceptable to me." She couldn't have been more proud of her community and all of the support that Lee received. She stated, "Every single one of us enjoyed doing this. This ain't all for Lee. We all benefited." Lee was truly overwhelmed by the generosity. When asked how he felt, all he could say was, "It's hard to explain. Just pretty awesome." One person who commented on the video stated, "This is absolutely amazing. It brought me to tears, what a wonderful community! God bless Lee and everyone who helped raise all that money!" Another person said, referring to Angela, "Look at her. Now, you know what the face of an angel looks like!" Sarah, with little monetary means herself, managed to change the life of a total stranger because she knew it was the right thing to do.
What a beautiful thing for the community to do for him after such a hard time!