A Domino's Pizza driver delivered a great deal of compassion to a man in need, with the help of the community.
Angela Nguyen who works for a Domino's Pizza restaurant in Ham Lake, Minnesota, first delivered food to 76-year-old Lee Haase during the summer, and discovered he had been living in a small camper with no heat, plumbing or running water, KARE 11 News reported. When another driver recently delivered a pie to the 76-year-old and saw he was cold and without plans to prepare for the winter ahead, Nguyen decided she needed to help, the outlet reported.
She started a GoFundMe campaign to rally the community around Hasse and with the immense support she's received, she has a new goal of building Lee a small home. Nguyen created the fundraising campaign about a week ago, and donors have already contributed more than $24,000 of the $25,000 goal as of Monday morning. A construction company has volunteered to build Haase a small home on his property, KARE 11 reported
"It's hard to explain [how I feel]," Haase told KARE 11 of the generosity. "Just pretty awesome."
Haase, who's retired and lives on a fixed income from social security, fell on hard times when a storm destroyed his home, according to the GoFundMe page. Later on, his son died in a snowmobile accident. The 76-year-old has been living in his trailer for years and has been surviving on one meal a week, eating Domino's pizza on weekends, the fundraising page explained.
"Living in this trailer with no heat, no sanitation whatsoever ... is not acceptable to me," Nguyen told KARE 11 of Haase's living conditions. "He's a human being. He deserves to live like everybody else."
After Nguyen started the fundraising page, community members eagerly pitched in by donating money. In addition to the construction company, others helped by buying food for him, and volunteers, including surveyors, painters and electricians, have also contacted Nguyen with offers to help. Domino's Pizza got in on the action with a $2,000 donation.
According to the GoFundMe, Nguyen will set up a bank account where the money from the fundraiser will be deposited. She wrote that the funds will be go toward building his new home, and any additional funds will be used on property taxes and homeowners' insurance.
There's still more work to be done before Haase can move into a new, permanent home, but Nguyen wrote that the 76-year-old has a positive future ahead.
"Lee will be finishing the remainder of his life warm, comfortable and loved by an entire community and beyond."
To learn more about Lee Haase and the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe page here.
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