W12: Serving Up Goodness In Spokane
Just before Christmas in Spokane, WA a working mom of three was reaching her breaking point. She arrived at The Boiler Room, a local pizza joint, and things only got worse. When the woman posted on Facebook that night about what the server did to turn her day around, it caught the eye of a local man, Rick Clark. Touched by the story, he brought people together and raised funds for the server. Once the local media caught up to the story, it had spread around the world and ended up benefitting The ISAAC Foundation, a local non-profit helping autistic children and their families.
Listen to the episode to hear why this story connected with so many people.
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W12: SERVING UP GOODNESS IN SPOKANE
HAVE YOU EVER HAD ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE MURPHY’S LAW SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN JUST FOR YOU? THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU SEEM TO BE GLIDING THROUGH LIFE, BUT FOR YOU, AT EVERY TURN, THERE’S A NEW PROBLEM. YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING KNOCKING OVER WHAT’S ON YOUR BEDSIDE TABLE, AND LIFE CONTINUES TO MOCK YOU UNTIL IT’S TIME FOR BED, AT WHICH POINT THE BATHROOM SINK STARTS TO LEAK AS YOU’RE BRUSHING YOUR TEETH.
OF COURSE IT’S NOT THIS BAD, BUT THE FEELING OF NOT BEING ABLE TO CATCH A BREAK IS REAL, AND IT CAN CONTINUE ON, LEAVING PEOPLE FEELING AS THOUGH THE ENTIRE WORLD IS AGAINST THEM.
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A WOMAN WHO WAS HAVING ONE OF THOSE DAYS…. POSSIBLY MONTHS…. WHEN SHE STUMBLED INTO THE RIGHT STRANGER AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT. THE FASCINATING PART OF THIS STORY ISN’T IN THEIR INTERACTION, BUT RATHER IN THE RIPPLE EFFECT IT HAD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
EPISODE
A FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASHLEY POLLASTRINI, A LOCAL MOM OF THREE WAS AT THE END OF AN 11-HOUR WORKDAY. IT WAS THE USUAL PRE-HOLIDAY CHAOS….SHE DROPPED HER OLDEST AT A CHRISTMAS PARTY FIVE MILES FROM TOWN AND THERE WAS JUST ENOUGH TIME TO STOP AT THE BOILER ROOM, A LOCAL PIZZA RESTAURANT TO FEED HER YOUNGER TWO.
WHEN THEY WERE SEATED, IMMEDIATELY, HER YOUNG KIDS DIDN’T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH BEING THERE. THE WAITRESS MANAGED TO TAKE THEIR ORDERS BUT ASHLEY QUICKLY FOUND HERSELF AT HER BREAKING POINT. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT SHE WAS STRUGGLING.
THE SERVER SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND IMMEDIATELY JUMPED IN TO HELP. SHE TOOK CARE OF THE KIDS WITH A SMILE, FED THEM SOME SNACKS AND BOXED UP THE MEALS. SHE EVEN HAD WORDS OF ENCOURAGMENT FOR ASHLEY BEFORE THEY LEFT.
LATER THAT NIGHT, ONCE THINGS SETTLED DOWN, ASHLEY WENT TO FACEBOOK AND MADE A POST ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED EARLIER AT THE BOILER ROOM. SHE EXPLAINED WHAT THE SERVER, THE ONE WITH BLONDE HAIR AND GLASSES, HAD DONE FOR HER AT A TIME WHEN SHE REALLY NEEDED THAT KINDNESS.
SHE MADE THE POST AND DIDN’T THINK MUCH OF IT.
IN THE MORNING, ASHELY WOKE UP TO OVER FIVE HUNDRED COMMENTS ON HER POST. PEOPLE HAD REALLY CONNECTED WITH THE SITUATION SHE WAS IN AND LOVED HEARING ABOUT HOW THE SERVER JUMPED IN TO HELP.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE CAPTIVATED BY ASHELY’S STORY WAS RICK CLARK, A LOCAL RESIDENT KNOWN FOR HIS WORK IN THE COMMUNITY. HE WAS SO MOVED BY THE DIGNITY AND KINDESS THAT THE SERVER SHOWED A FELLOW RESIDENT IN NEED, THAT HE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
HE FOUND OUT HER NAME WAS AMBER BRYANT, AND THAT SHE WAS A SERVER OF FIFTEEN YEARS AND SHE HERSELF WAS A MOTHER OF TWO AUTISTIC CHILDREN. HE TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO RALLY HIS FRIENDS AS WELL AS LOCAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WITH AUTISTIC CHILDREN TO PULL TOGETHER A HOLIDAY GIFT.
RICK ASKED TO MEET AMBER AT THE RESTAURANT, AND WITH SOMEONE RECORDING THEIR CONVERSATION, HE PRESENTED HER WITH $800 IN CASH AND $700 IN GIFT CARDS TO EASE SOME OF THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF THE HOLIDAYS.
THE LOOK ON AMBER’S FACE SAID IT ALL. SHE WAS ALMOST SPEECHLESS.
THE VIDEO OF THEIR CONVERSATION WAS SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND RECEIVED ENOUGH ATTENTION FOR THE LOCAL NEWS TO RUN A STORY ON WHAT HAPPENED. THAT STORY WAS IMMEDIATELY SHARED AROUND THE WORLD AND QUICKLY GAINED OVER 3 MILLION VIEWS.
IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME HOW PARCHED WE ARE THESE DAYS FOR GENUINE CONNECTION. WHEN WE FIND AN EXAMPLE OF IT, WE STOP WHAT WE’RE DOING AND WE WATCH, AS IF THERE WERE A BRONTOSAURUS WALKING DOWN THE STREET.
IT REALLY SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SLOW DOWN, EMPATHIZE, AND TREAT SOMEONE WITH DIGNITY WHEN WE’RE TEMPTED TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY.
ONE OTHER THING HAPPENED WHEN THE STORY SPREAD. PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER WANTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GIFT FOR ASHLEY.
WHEN SHE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE GENEROSITY COMING HER WAY, RATHER THAN POST HER ACCOUNT SO SHE COULD COLLECT DONATIONS, SHE INSTEAD DIRECTED PEOPLE TO A CAUSE MORE IMPORTANT THAN HERSELF; THE ISAAC FOUNDATION, A SPOKANE-AREA NON-PROFIT SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF AUTISIC CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.
https://theisaacfoundation.configio.com/
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=599871025759286
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=621347100351664