Strangers raise over $200k for 90-year-old who was pushing shopping carts for survival

At 90, when most seniors hope to retire comfortably, many still work long hours to survive. Dillon McCormick, a 90-year-old veteran from New Orleans, was pushing shopping carts at a local supermarket to make ends meet until a news anchor stepped in to help.

McCormick had to work under the scorching heat to survive. On Memorial Day 2024, former Louisiana news anchor Karen Swensen saw McCormick working in brutal conditions and couldn’t ignore his plight. She approached him, and McCormick explained he needed the labor-intensive job to survive, per New York Post. A US Air Force vet, McCormick now walks over a mile to work because he doesn’t drive.

Swensen, who worked for WWL-TV, decided to help by starting a GoFundMe page for McCormick. Strangers were moved by his story, and the fundraiser has raised over $220,000 so far. "Mr. McCormick is working to eat, he said. He needs $2500/month to live and says he only gets $1100 from social security,” Swensen wrote on the fundraiser page. "So he must push carts in triple-digit heat to make ends meet. He had the kindest smile and the greatest attitude. He is grateful for his job and his work ethic speaks for itself."

Swensen shared that McCormick is part of the Silent Generation, born in the 1930s. His grandmother immigrated from Ireland in the late 1800s as an indentured servant, instilling a strong work ethic in him. Despite this, his age makes the grueling work difficult, leaving him hungry, tired, and frustrated. Swensen was overwhelmed by the response from strangers online. “I think it’s great,” McCormick said in disbelief in an Instagram video shared by Swensen. “At my age, it’s probably a miracle.”

“Should he choose to remain working, it will be just that – his choice,” Swensen told the New York Post, adding that the quick help the fundraiser received left her feeling "inspired, hopeful and grateful." "I was so profoundly upset. But I was then equally impacted by the response. It was just a restoration of a belief in humanity," Swensen said recalling her first meet with McCormick at the mall. To hand McCormick the money he received from the fundraiser, Swensen arrived with Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto III at the elderly's home. He was initially skeptical about sharing his financial information to collect the funds and was worried about getting scammed. Swensen added on the GoFundMe page that the money will help McCormick live in comfort.