Domino’s worker fell on SC family’s porch. Now they raised $250,000 for her retirement

A family helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for a 72-year-old Domino’s worker who fell on their front porch while delivering food.

Now the worker, Barbara Gillespie, can retire, Lacey Keighron, the South Carolina woman who started the fundraising campaign, told McClatchy News.

“Barbara put in her 2 week notice at work yesterday,” Keighron wrote on Facebook Feb. 9. “She’s officially retiring! So excited for her.”

The journey to Gillespie’s retirement began on Feb. 2 when she was delivering food to Keighron’s family’s home in Moncks Corner, about 100 miles southeast of Columbia.

Keighron’s doorbell camera captured Gillespie trip and fall as she climbed onto the front porch carrying multiple Domino’s boxes. The video, which Keighron posted on TikTok, shows Gillespie struggling to get up as Keighron’s husband goes outside to help her.

“Our (Domino’s) delivery driver fell on our front porch today and my heart just hurts for her,” Keighron wrote in the caption. “She’s clearly having a hard time. She was so worried about our food but all we cared about was that she was okay. I’m so sad for her.”

Keighron and her family also created a GoFundMe page to raise money for her.

“We would like to bless her by bringing a ‘tip’ to help her with anything she may need,” the page says. “She is an older woman who fell and only cared about the food she dropped. Let’s show her some kindness and take off some of this burden that our economy is causing the older generations especially.”

The video “blew up” on TikTok, and that night, the GoFundMe had already gathered $50,000, Keighron said. The TikTok video had more than 15.5 million views as of Feb. 14.

“This has touched my heart and broken it,” a user named Ana Taylor commented on the TikTok video. “Please keep us updated. God Bless Barbara!”

Keighron said she called the local Domino’s manager that night to ask for Gillespie‘s last name so she could make her the beneficiary of the GoFundMe. At first, he was hesitant, she said, but when she told him how much had already been raised, he was excited.

The next morning, Keighron and two of her daughters visited the Domino’s where Gillespie works and told her the news.

Domino’s did not respond to a request for comment.

“She’s speechless and honestly so thankful,” said Keighron, who said Gillespie wasn’t able to speak to a McClatchy reporter on Feb. 14 because she wasn’t feeling well.

As of Feb. 14, the GoFundMe had raised $252,607. One donor gave $4,000.

She said Gillespie was a single mother for a long time and has had to work hard to support herself and her children.

“She’s not really had this opportunity to be completely not working and get to travel or anything like that,” Keighron said.

Gillespie’s last day with Domino’s is Feb. 16, she said. Keighron said Gillespie told her she hopes to use her retirement to take a cruise and travel to Europe.

And for Keighron, she, her husband and five children have made a friend for life.

“We’re family now,” she said.

Commenters on social media said they were touched by the story.

“Absolutely wonderful!” Kathleen Meyer wrote on Facebook. “If you did no other good deed for the rest of your life - you would have served your purpose here (on) earth with just this.”

“Of course she gave a two weeks notice,” Tiffany Mitchell Moss commented. “Wouldn’t just walk away like the rest of us. She’s such a doll.”

Keighron said she hopes the story will encourage others to be kind.

“Even when someone else is having a bad day, just try to be kind,” she said. “You never know what kind of day they’re having… Every time we can reach out a helping hand, we should.”

This story was originally published February 14, 2023 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Domino’s worker fell on SC family’s porch. Now they raised $250,000 for her retirement."