After learning about his favorite Waffle House waiter’s financial struggles, an 8-year-old boy from Little Rock, Arkansas got to work raising over $100K for the employee.
How did an 8-year-old boy Raise Over $100K for a Waffle House Waiter?
Kayzen Hunter is only 8 years old, but this little boy didn’t let that stop him when he learned about a Waffle House waiter’s financial struggles.
Just as the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity,” Kayzen didn’t let his age stop him from doing something in love for another person.
The 8-year-old has now raised over $100K for a Waffle House server.
Check out their story below:
This server wasn’t just anyone to Hunter. The second-grader traditionally goes to the family’s local Waffle House in Little Rock, Arkansas, each weekend, and they always sit in the same section, where 29-year-old Devonte Gardner often serves.
Gardner and Kayzen have actually become friends over time, and the Waffle House waiter loves to give Kayzen a high-five as soon as the family arrives.
Gardner even knows Kayzen’s favorite breakfast order, which is eggs with cheese and hash browns with cheese.
According to Kayzen, Gardner “always treats everyone with kindness.”
Talking about their developing relationship over time, Kayzen said, “As we started to go more and more and we met Devonte, we realized he’s just really a light in the world.”
That may be one reason Kayzen was so motivated to do something when on a recent trip to the Waffle House with his grandpa, Kayzen learned that Gardner’s family was struggling financially.
The Waffle House employee shared that his apartment had been infested with black mold and rats, and that his family had had to move into a motel to keep himself, his wife, and his two young daughters safe.
Kayzen had compassion for Gardner, learning that his favorite server was walking miles to work from the motel.
Kayzen was sad to hear of Gardner’s struggles; so he decided to set up a GoFundMe page.
“Hi, my name is Kayzen, I am 8 years old,” he wrote on the page. “I am wanting to raise funds for my friend, Devonte, who I met and have come to know from eating breakfast at Waffle House.”
The page had a $5,000 goal, but as of the writing of this article, it has raised more than $100K for the beloved Waffle House employee.
“Devonte is a hard-working dad with two little girls and a wife. He is a dedicated worker and has to walk or get a ride to get to work every day,” Kayzen wrote. “He was looking for a decent priced car, and his family was unfortunate and ended up in an apartment riddled with black mold.”
When asked about his son’s generosity, Kayzen’s dad, Cory Hunter said, “Kazen always thinks of other people. And it’s nice to see him step up at such a young age.”
Hoping that others will have as big of a heart as him, Kayzen finished his description on the GoFundMe page, saying “He always greets us with the biggest smile. I hope your heart is as BIG as mine and you will help me spread kindness in the world.”
In an interview, Kayzen was asked about his efforts to help Gardner and he said, “It just feels good to help someone else.”
So what was Gardner able to do after this 8-year-old boy raised over $100K for a Waffle House server?