The coronavirus has spread fear and uncertainty throughout the United States, especially among small businesses and their employees.
Many are wondering where their next dollar is coming from now that many states have ordered non-essential businesses to cease operations in order to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Millions of people in our country have had to file for unemployment and pandemic pay since many aren’t receiving paychecks.
As of March 3, the United States Labor Department reported that there were 701,000 fewer jobs in the country and that the unemployment rate had risen to 4.4%.
They expect these numbers to rise significantly once more data is collected by next month.
“America’s workers and their families are making purposeful sacrifices to help save lives,” a U.S. Labor Department press release read.
“This Administration will continue its vigorous efforts to protect the health, safety, and security of the American people as we defeat the coronavirus.”
That’s why so many people are stepping up to lend a helping hand to others in their own communities.
Katherine Eldridge and owners of Doe’s Eat Place says she’s been overwhelmed by the love and support her business has been shown in recent weeks.
“It just tugged at your heart a little bit,” Eldridge told ABC 6 WATE.
Doe’s Eat Place in Little Rock, Arkansas had to close down its dining room because of the coronavirus pandemic and is only allowed to offer take-out.
As a result, Eldridge had to cut her staff significantly.
And now all of Eldridge’s employees face even more uncertainty since the restaurant had to temporarily close since they weren’t getting that many takeout orders.
“With a very heavy heart, I am closing our doors tonight at 8:00. We will remain closed for 2 weeks or until it is safe to open our dining room. We will miss seeing and serving our customers, but know this will pass and we will be back,” the restaurant wrote on their Facebook page on March 19.
Mailman Andy Derrick decided to step up and lend a helping hand to the restaurant’s employees.
Derrick delivers the mail at Doe’s Eat Place but he’s also a regular customer.
So, he had lunch at the restaurant before they closed and left the employees a generous tip.
“It’s my community. I deliver to them. I know all of them,” Derrick told KATV. “Just trying to support them because they support me.”
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Derrick ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke. His bill was only $12, but he left a $2,200 tip.
“I cried. At first I thought it was $200. I looked closer, and I said, ‘are you kidding?'” Elderidge said.
“[Every employee] teared up. Every single one of them. Unbelievable.”
Derrick’s tip was enough so that all 22 employees would get $100.
Eldridge said that the kind gesture helped to offer a little light of hope in such a scary and dark time.
“We need to see that right now. When everything looks so gloomy and uncertain, we need to know that there are people out there that are doing good things to help us out,” Eldridge said.
Derrick only wishes that he was able to give more.
“I wish it could’ve been more,” Derrick said. “But we’ll get through this and go back to normal and I can come back and get my fish on Fridays.”
Learn more about this generous act of kindness in the story below.
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