Our health care heroes have fought for months against COVID-19, and we’ll never be able to thank them enough.
But Uber driver Tammy Rivera of Memphis, Tennessee, has found the perfect way to show gratitude – and help doctors and nurses stay strong. Her mission began in March after she picked up an exhausted nurse at Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital. Not only was the woman pulling 12- to 14-hour shifts, but she had no time to eat at work. Tammy couldn’t stop thinking about her, even after they parted ways.
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“[When she said she was hungry,] it really stuck with me,” the single mom told People. “It got my brain going – what can I do and how can I fix this? I wanted to find a way to feed the people that are in the most danger right now, those in the ER and in the COVID unit.”
So, the next day, Tammy posted on Facebook, asking for people’s input about what she could do to help. She eventually settled on creating a fundraiser to buy and deliver meals to local hospitals. This way, she could also support locally-owned restaurants struggling amid the pandemic! It only took two hours for her to raise enough money for one night’s worth of meals.
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Since then, Tammy has delivered more than 3,500 meals, paid for with generous donations from her community.
“When money started getting low, I just put out an update and then we were once again fully funded for another two weeks,” Tammy said. “This is our amazing community. I’m just helping them help others.”
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The only problem? Tammy started having car troubles. But with news of her giving spirit spreading, it caught the attention of a star who could help. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith invited Tammy onto her Facebook show, “Red Table Talk.” There, she surprised Tammy with an incredible Mother’s Day gift: a new, eco-friendly car from the Smith Family Foundation!
“How you’ve sacrificed and how you’ve put yourself out there, it’s the least we could do for you,” Smith said.
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And the generosity kept coming! When Tammy picked up her car from AutoNation, the dealership presented her with a $5,000 check towards purchasing even more food!
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What a way to make a difference! Thank you so much, Tammy, for keeping our heroes fed. Her deliveries haven’t slowed down, but you can help them continue by donating to GoFundMe, @Tamara-Rivera-26 on Venmo, or wethreesing@gmail.com through Paypal.
See Tammy’s reaction to her well-deserved gift in the video below, and share to spread thanks to this selfless woman!
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