Customer made desperate plea for $25K to help 81-yr-old waitress retire. Within days, internet raised $334K

With no proper financial backing, many elderly people are unfortunately forced to work and take up odd jobs to earn their livelihood. While some struggle to overcome the never-ending debt traps, others, abandoned by their children, work hard to make ends meet. Likewise, Tamie Konzier (@tamie.lynn on TikTok) had a similar heartbreaking encounter with an 81-year-old lady named Betty, who was working as a waitress at a food joint. Through her now-viral video, the woman urged everyone who can to come forward and help the senior lady retire and enjoy her life peacefully.

Konzier and her son were at a local food joint called "Eat 'n Park" when they noticed that their server was an 81-year-old lady who was struggling to walk. Furthermore, she revealed that they heard the waitress mention how she had to work because of the financial crunch.

"I have $40 in my purse, so that's what I'm going to leave her for a tip," Konizer said before sharing a glimpse of the old lady working at the restaurant. When the senior lady came to their table to serve, Konizer handed her the tip, saying, "This is for you. We heard you can't retire yet. So, we gave you a little extra." Betty was touched by the woman's kind gesture. Overcome with emotion, she revealed that all her life she had worked as a waitress but still couldn't afford to retire. "Take care and enjoy life because it’ll go by you fast!" the old lady added.

The TikTok video received an overwhelming response with people empathizing with the old waiter. For instance, @sandrac8679 shared, "That’s just not right. I wish this country would take better care of its people. 81 is too old to be working." @beaverswifey suggested, "America needs to change things so our elders can enjoy what time they have left." @krissycorti_digitalmom commented, "81! That’s so sad. I hope this takes off and you can gift her a pretty penny." Meanwhile, @its_stewiebaby wished, "Gosh, I hope you're able to give her an absolutely life-changing amount!" 

On the other hand, @iamtheeggman0 revealed, "As someone who has served in a restaurant for about 10 years, this makes me so sad! Serving is SUCH a physically draining job!" @misty said, "It is just not right! This is not how our elderly, who have spent their whole lives working, should be treated!" @candyapple_313 commented, "81 years old and still having to wait tables to afford to live is what is wrong with this world. You are doing a beautiful thing for this lady." @shay_hix_sings wrote, "Awww, I absolutely love wholesome videos! You all are amazing!" @diegoozorio78 pointed out, "Can’t believe this happens in the so-called most powerful country in the world. In Mexico, we have universal healthcare, universal pensions, and eggs are cheap."

Finally, in a follow-up video, Konzier and her son returned to "Eat 'n Park" to share the total earnings from GoFundMe with Betty—$334,008 from Venmo and the cash app as of April 16, 2025. Notably, the woman was even giving away all her earnings from her first video featuring Betty to honor the old lady's determination. "She is a sweet, deserving woman. I’m so glad that we were put in this place at a certain time, and we raised this money for her to enjoy the rest of her life," Konzier shared as she revealed having lunch with Betty.

You can follow Tamie Konzier (@tamie.lynn) on TikTok for more such lifestyle content.