JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It was a gift one woman didn't see coming from complete strangers.
Monday night, a group of friends went to dinner at a Jacksonville IHOP and gave their waitress close to a $500 tip. According to James Willard, who was part of that group, he and his friends saw a post on Facebook recently showing someone gave a generous tip to another waitress in the area, and they wanted to spread some Christmas cheer too.
They paid their checks then told the waitress they wanted to give her a gift for Christmas. Each person handed her a tip as she walked around the table.
"I honestly can’t put it into words other than just it’s a blessing," the waitress, who did not want to be identified, said. "I take care of my kids myself and stuff, so just having that big extra help like that, that was just great."
Willard said her reaction equally touched them.
“She was so appreciative of it and cried, and that just about made the rest of us have tears run down our faces too," Willard said. "It was a really really good moment."
"We know that they’re here working their butts off and they’re living off of tips, and sometimes it just doesn’t add up at the end of the month to pay their bills," he said. "We just felt like if we could do a little something, just a little bit that could help someone. That does more for us than it probably does for her."
The waitress, who was working her sixth day straight when the table sat down, said she used the money to buy Christmas gifts for her 7-year-old and 1-year-old children.
"When you help people like that, you don’t really know what they’re going through and that was something I didn’t expect, but something I definitely, definitely needed, so I really can’t put it into words," she said.
As for Willard and his friends, they said they want others to see this and give if they can too.
“If you can help someone out this time of year or any time of year, do it," he said. "If it’s not going to hurt you and you can do it, then just do it."