You never know when you’ll make the sort of friends that inspire you to make the world better.
For one 8-year-old in Arkansas, he found his friend during his family’s weekly outing to their favorite breakfast place: Waffle House. There, the young boy and his family learned how just a bit of love and kindness can make all the difference in someone’s life.
That someone just so happened to be the boy’s favorite waiter, Devonte Gardner.
When Kayzen Hunter first met Devonte, he told his parents that the waiter was “one of the most joyous and positive people you’ve ever met.”
Devonte also couldn’t hide how much he likes seeing Kayzen and his family. “He’s a wonderful kid. He tells me jokes every time he comes in, like, ‘Hey, Devonte, I got a joke for you,’ and the next thing you know, we’re laughing,” he told Today.
Kayzen’s mom, Vittoria Hunter, said now it has become part of their routine to visit Devonte each week. “It was about a year ago when they met. My dad started going and Kayzen would go with him. When he came home, he talked about Devonte and how much he liked him,” she said.
As the family got to know one another, the Hunters soon found out that Devonte, his wife, Aissa, and their daughters 3-year-old Jade and 2-year-old Amoura, were living in a local motel. With no vehicle, Devonte walked to and from work daily. They had left their prior home due to a rat infestation, as well as a black mold that was causing the children to get sick.
All my tips and everything that I get to go straight to my kids,” Devonte said. “I pay for the room … $60 a day, and it’s just eating my pocket alive.
Kayzen said he thought it was too much for Devonte to go through. “He came home and told me that, ‘Hey, Mom, Devonte walks or gets a ride to work and I’m gonna start a GoFundMe,’” Vittoria said.“I was like, ‘Well, OK, that’s really sweet.”
Waffle House employee Devonte Gardner smiles as he makes a drink. Photo by the Hunter family
The Hunters set a goal of $5,000 to help Devonte get a vehicle and help finding a new place to live.
“Devonte is one of the most joyous and positive people you’ve ever met!! He always greets us with the biggest smile,” Kayzen wrote in the GoFundMe. “I hope your heart is as BIG as mine and you will help me spread kindness in the world. Any amount helps!!”
He got his wish. Since the fund’s start, Kayzen and his family have raised more than $100,000, with donations still pouring in.
“I will be moving into my apartment very soon. We’re able to have something more stable,” Devonte said. After finding an inexpensive vehicle to drive, the rest of the money will be put aside for his children, he said.
“I’m gonna save the rest because I want to put my daughters in a good school, I want them to be in a good environment. Everything I’m getting is going mostly towards my daughters to make sure they have a great, great life. Make sure we won’t have to struggle anymore.”
As for Kayzen, Devonte said simply, “He’s a positive young kid. He has a very huge heart, and I’m thankful he came into my life.”
Kayzen’s parents said none of what their son did is surprising. “‘Be the change you wish to see in the world,’ right? We know who we are as people and we know the potential of what our children can be,” his father, Korey Hunter, said.
After all, he said, “Kayzen’s middle name is actually Love.”
