Sometimes, it’s what you’re doing when you think no one is watching that counts. Waitress Evoni Williams was just doing her job as a Waffle House waitress in La Marque, Texas, when she was caught on camera by a patron.
It was like any other day at the restaurant for the 18-year-old when an elderly customer took a seat at the counter. Upon being served, it was clear he needed some assistance. Known as “Mr. Karaoke”, 78-year-old Adrien Charpentier was wearing an oxygen mask and had been dealing with weeks of going back and forth to the hospital.
His hand muscles were a bit weak, weak enough for him to know that cutting his meat would be a challenge. He asked for help, and that’s where Evoni stepped in. She cut his ham up for him and the two chatted away as he ate his breakfast.
What the two didn’t realize was that another customer was so struck by the young lady’s act of kindness that she snapped a picture. Laura Wolf thought it was so sweet of Evoni to stop what she was doing to help. She posted the photo on Facebook where it soon went viral. Wolf told local news station KHOU:
“It was so busy in here, and she actually took the time to stop and hear what he had to say instead of walking past him. That just meant something to me.”
If the moment going viral wasn’t enough of a surprise, there was a bigger one in store for Evoni once the mayor of La Marque caught wind of the Facebook post. Unsatisfied with just hitting the “Like” button, Mayor Bobby Hocking wanted to recognize Evoni for her kind deed.
He issued a proclamation to name a day after the young woman for their town. In addition to that, she was also awarded a college scholarship from Texas Southern University for $16,000. They were on hand at the proclamation ceremony to surprise her with a check. She plans on earning a degree in business.
Mr. Charpentier, who has been a regular at the Waffle House, was caught off guard by all the media attention, but has taken it in good stride with a sense of humor. Evoni, also caught off guard, said that in spite of all the attention, it was just another day at work for her in terms of taking care of the customers.
Watch this short clip to get a look at the picture that started it all and to see Evoni’s reaction to her surprise. As another benefit, it seems like these two could have started a new friendship.
It’s so good to see folks looking out for our elderly citizens who are in need, and this act of kindness is a lovely reminder of how humans care for each other every day, even if we don’t hear about it.
What do you think of Evoni’s deed and how she was rewarded? Do you often see sweet moments like this when you’re out? What’s an example of a kind gesture you’ve witnessed from the sidelines?
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