College Students Raise Money For A Wendy’s Employee After He Loses His House In A Fire

When Malcolm Coleman, a Wendy’s employee, lost his home in a tragic fire, College students from the campus where he worked decided to ban together to lend him a helping hand, according to Today.

Coleman was an employee at the Wendy’s fast food joint at the University of South Carolina‘s campus in Columbia. Thus, he’s gotten to know a lot of the students in the area. Even though students love Coleman for his positive attitude and joy, he’s had a tough time lately. In 2019, he lost his father. He also lost his entire home in an electrical fire. The damage was so bad that he and his mother could no longer live there. A lapse in insurance led to the home never getting fixed and as a result, the pair became homeless, spending their nights at friends’ houses.

When a student named Robby Caldaroni heard about the hard times Coleman was facing, he decided to step up to the plate and help. He started a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising money to help support Coleman and his mother and then shared their story in a Facebook post. He set the goal at $75,000. While it might sound like a lot of money, that is how much it will take to repair the damages to their home.

“Malcolm never complains and takes every day as a blessing. He clocks into work every night to continue taking care of his mother and puts a small portion of his check towards maybe one day being able to return home,” the description on the GoFundMe page read.

Caldaroni praised Coleman for his positivity despite his struggles, saying that he’s not just simply a fast-food employee but a beloved member of their school community.

“Many people on campus know Malcolm because of his big personality and the unique ability to remember the name and order of every student after very few interactions with them. This pairing has made Malcolm into somewhat of a local celebrity with students at USC — even if you don’t remember his name, he’ll remember yours,” Caldaroni said.

The post got a lot of traction and before long, the donations came pouring in. As of March 7, the fundraiser had already reached $37,456. Many of those who donated also shared the pleasant interactions they had with Coleman.

GoFundMe has helped many people across the country show support to special individuals like Coleman. As The Inquisitr previously reported, a GoFundMe page raised $60,000 for a little boy named Keaton Jones who was bullied at school in 2017.