$40 Tip Leads to More Than $12k in Donations to Pregnant Waitress
A pastor's $40 tip and a short conversation led to $12,000 raised to help out a Waffle House waitress who is expecting her second child shortly.
Bishop Eusebio Phelps from New Faith Christian Church in Stockbridge, GA, went in one day to get an all-star special with bacon. His server, Hannah Hill, was nothing but polite and attentive to her customers.
"She was so nice over the telephone, and when I got there I paid for my food and I told her to keep the change," Phelps told WXIA. "And then when I looked at her, I asked if she was pregnant - she said yes so at that time I was just really urged to give her the rest of the money that I had in my wallet, which was around $40. And so I gave her the $40 and I told her that I just wanted to be able to bless her so she could buy something for the baby."
Phelps asked how far along Hannah was in her pregnancy, to which she told him 8-and-a-half months. When it came up that she was naming the baby boy Samuel, it struck a chord with him.
"Well we lost our son Samuel seven year ago in Atlanta," he said. "It's coming up on the anniversary. I went home, I told my wife what happened... my wife and I were talking, I was like, 'listen I wanna raise a thousand dollars to give to Hannah so she can buy whatever she needs for the baby.'"
So Phelps posted the story on Facebook asking for donations for the young lady. When he woke up the next morning, he'd already passed his $1,000 goal.
That evening, he went to surprise her with the money at the Waffle House, with the $6500 raised for her already. The only problem was she wasn't working that night.
It seemed everyone who knew her was trying to get ahold of her, but Hannah's phone was off, and she was asleep in her roommate's car about 40 minutes away.
Someone was able to get ahold of her roommate who turned the car around and headed for the Waffle House.
Meanwhile, Phelps was still on Facebook Live, which he started on his way in to surprise. The comments of people pouring in support, when someone commented "Let's raise $10,000."
Just in the time for Hill to get to the Waffle House, they surpassed $10,000, all the way into $12,000.
"So we threw a surprise baby shower at Waffle House," Phelps said. "It was just an epic moment."
"I had a lot going on, and I don't really pray that often - I'm not necessarily that religious, I wasn't really raised in the church, don't go to church a lot, haven't cracked open a Bible in forever. But lately I have been praying," she said. "I've been really stressing lately... I've been worried about the baby getting here... I'm so grateful and that's all I can say. I'm so grateful and appreciative to everybody, God is good all the time."
She even just purchased her first car.
Hannah just bought her first car!!!! 😭😭😭😭
Thanks to everyone that helped make this possible!!!!
To God be The Glory!!!!Posted by New Faith Christian Church on Monday, October 5, 2020
"Makes me wanna get back in church," she added.