When Kea Senegal had his car stolen, he was naturally devastated.
With a wife and two children – a four-year-old and a four-month-old – he needed his vehicle to get to work at Ruffino’s on the River, a restaurant in Lafayette, LA, where he works as a dishwasher.
But just when he feared his situation may impact his ability to get to work and feed his family, help came from an unlikely source.
Last week, his colleagues – unbeknown to him – held a meeting to discuss Kea’s unfortunate situation.
After discussing how great a colleague Kea was, General Manager Chris Muffoletto asked his staff if they would be willing to pitch in to help get him a replacement vehicle.
And their response was unanimous.
Chris said: “Everyone was 100 percent onboard.
“It took three days to raise $2,500. Then, the people at a local wholesale car firm found out what we were doing and matched the funds. Their generosity was instrumental in this – they should get as much credit as anyone.”
And on Wednesday, Muffoletto and the Ruffino’s team surprised Kea with a 2015 Chevy Malibu – and his reaction was priceless.
–Scroll down to the bottom to watch the clip–
“It was very special to see him so surprised,” Muffoletto says.
“Kea has worked here since we opened. He is a very solid employee, well liked and just a great overall guy. It was very nice to be able to give back a little, especially during the Christmas season.”
One of the best parts of the experience, Muffoletto adds, was that it didn’t start out as a huge plan – it blew up on its own.
“It’s a great example of the staff and of the entire community,” Muffoletto explains. “We just got to it, raised money, and made it happen.”