Starbucks barista's car was stolen—she was 'taken aback' after learning her co-workers raised tens of thousands for her
When work becomes one’s passion, there are only wholesome experiences to follow. There is a different aura among workers who bring determination and love for what they do. It reflects in their work relationships, enabling them to create profound experiences and memories. A 65-year-old Starbucks employee, Karen Collinsworth, had an unwavering commitment towards her job for the last few decades, per TODAY. When her car was burglarized and she was left in a dilemma, it was the result of this commitment that paid off in the form of a kind gift from coworkers.
“I’ve been here since 1976. I fell in love with Huntington. I’ve been in the food industry since 1978 and that is my passion. I’ve loved waiting tables, I just do,” Collinsworth said. As a supervisor to energetic and young baristas at Starbucks, the woman has always been spreading smiles. Her 19-year-old colleagues enjoy her company and even mentioned that her work life is elevated, thanks to her aura. “I love coming into work knowing that she’s gonna be there. I talk to her about literally everything,” Cassie Gray, a fellow worker and student, noted. She added that Collinsworth has been nothing short of a mom to her. “So it’s just like a relief, being able to go in there and talk to her and knowing that she’s going to help me work through whatever,” Gray said.
The barista had only light and love to share until she started facing problems with her vehicle. “She had been having a lot of problems with the car in the past,” recalled Jaiden Horn, another coworker. Collinsworth never mentioned and ranted about her problems until one day, things were out of control. “She came into work and she was like, ‘Yeah, somebody stole my catalytic converter last night,’” Horn recounted. That was not all. A few days later, some other parts of her car were stolen to the point where she could no longer drive. The rest of the staff knew that Collinsworth needed a new vehicle but were unsure how to afford it.
To their luck, they came across an anonymous post where a user put forth their wish to help Collinsworth with a donation. “We all just kind of talked about it and we floated around the idea of starting a fundraiser for her. I decided to just make it because I figured even if we couldn’t raise that much money, any amount would help her. It was just kind of like a spur-of-the-moment (thing),” Gray pointed out. The barista set up the GoFundMe page, and the initial goal was $10,000. However, with the generosity of people all over, the coworkers raised $40,000 for Collinsworth.
Before she was surprised by the young staff, the news came to her through others. Collinsworth was stunned that the students who “couldn’t afford a cup of coffee” managed to do something so grand, all for her. “I was taken aback when I found out. It was very overwhelming. I knew these kids loved me because I loved them. But they have so much going on in their life and then to take care of their Starbucks mom, Karen. That’s just how big their hearts are,” she remarked.