Meet Angela
Angela Nguyen worked for Domino’s as a pizza delivery driver. Over the years, she got to know her customers fairly well, especially a man who lived in a small trailer. One night, when she was working, she knocked on the man’s door to deliver his pizza and saw something shocking.
Interacting with Customers
The customer interactions that Angela has are usually pretty quick and mundane. The most exciting part is if she is greeted by a cute dog.
Lee Haase
Lee Haase regularly ordered pizza from Domino’s, which Angela delivered. He was a sweet old man that lived alone. This time when Angela delivered his pizza, she noticed something concerning.
A Regular Customer
Every Saturday, Lee would order his weekly pizza from Domino’s in Ham Lake. Everyone at the restaurant knew Lee and his order. Unfortunately, nobody was aware of Lee’s living situation.
Living in a Small Town
Angela and her daughter, Sarah Hughes, were the main Domino’s drivers in their small town. They had both delivered pizza to Lee multiple times and saw the little trailer he lived in. It wasn’t until they saw the inside of his trailer that they knew they had help him out.
One Stormy Night
When a storm took the roof off of his house months ago, Lee had moved into this small trailer. The trailer was just 12 feet long and didn’t look like much. Lee also didn’t have the resources to fix up the trailer and make it cozy.
A Bad Smell
When Angela delivered Lee’s pizza, she noticed a bad smell coming from the trailer. As she peeked inside, she saw how crammed the messy the trailer was.
Misfortune
Angela started talking to Lee and found out more about his life. As they talked, she realized how cold it was in trailer. It turns out the only source of heat he had were some blankets. He also didn’t have any electricity.
No Plumbing
That wasn’t all that was wrong with the trailer. Lee also didn’t have any plumbing in his home. Angela was heartbroken. How could his family let him live like that?
Family Tragedy
Lee was forced to leave his home after the storm because the house was unlivable. Then, shortly after the storm, his son died in an accident. Now, this heartbroken father was homeless and had little resources to get him by.
Comforting Pizza
The only thing that brought Lee happiness during this time was his weekly pizza from Domino’s. He was happy to have some interaction with the delivery person and enjoy a hot slice of pizza. Angela was shocked to hear all of this.
Gathering Help
“I thought we got to do something. We can’t let a human being live like this,” Angela said when discussing how to help Lee with her daughter. They needed some extra help though.
First Issue Solved
Angela knew the first thing she had to do was buy a space heater for Lee. The weather was getting colder and he needed some sort of heat in his home. Although, Angela already had to budget herself, how was she going to find the money to spend on Lee?
Asking for Help
Angela and her daughter set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help Lee. “We got donations from as far as Australia,” Angela said. So many kind people donated to their cause.
$32,000
They were able to raise almost $32,000 for Lee. They never thought they would be able to raise that much money. With these funds, Lee was able to afford a brand new trailer where he could live comfortably.
Filling His New Home
Members of the community came together to furnish Lee’s new home and stock his pantry and fridge. Everything was ready just in time for Christmas.
The Reveal
When the trailer was finally complete, it was revealed to Lee. He was shocked and overjoyed at the kindness these strangers had shown him.
Happy Tears
“You remember when this started and I promised we were going to help you? Merry Christmas!” Angela said when Lee first entered his new home. “It’s wonderful. I’m so grateful for the people doing this,” Lee said through his tears of joy.
Enjoying the Journey
Angela loved every second of this journey to help Lee. “Every single one of us enjoyed doing this. This ain’t all for Lee. We all benefited,” she said. It was thanks to Angela that Lee could live a safe and comfortable life.
More Domino’s Heroes
Angela isn’t the only Domino’s hero. Two employees in Salem, Oregon noticed that a regular customer hadn’t called in 11 days. They became worried and called the police to check on him. It turns out the elderly man had suffered a stroke and lived alone so nobody could help him. Thanks to the kindness of these employees, he was able to receive medical attention and made a quick recovery.