Waitress goes out of her way to help struggling mom. So, the community stepped up to change her life

Sometimes, a small act of kindness might come back to a person in a way much bigger than they had ever expected. A similar thing happened with a waitress who helped an overwhelmed mom with taking care of her kids. The grateful mom turned to Facebook to thank the waitress and to draw attention to her kind act. The post caught the attention of a local community worker. One thing led to another and before she knew it, the waitress had a big gift waiting for her on behalf of the community, as per a post by Rich Clark.

"Hopefully, this stays up. I wanted to shout out the kindest server at Boiler Room—blonde with glasses," the mom, Ashley Pollastrini, wrote in her post. "After an 11-hour crazy day, I drove from Pines to Five Mile to drop my oldest off at a Christmas party. I tried to get a quick bite with my younger two, and my baby was not having it."

She added, "She was so kind to us, brought my kids snacks, boxed up all my sauces to go, helped me box my food, and told me I was doing a great job. I really needed that kindness! Also, the food was awesome—even if I ate it at home later." People found out that the waitress was a woman named Amber Bryant.

A man named Rich Clark, the founder of "Giving Back Spokane," came across Pollastrini's post and decided to do something for Bryant. He went around the locality and visited nine moms, who gathered tips worth $800 and gift cards worth a couple of hundred dollars for the woman. He then went to her workplace to surprise her. Clark revealed, "Yesterday, I spent the day driving all over Spokane gathering cash donations and gift cards. Most were from other moms with whom this story of kindness resonated. Moms told me to give Amber a hug and say thank you for the dignity and respect she offered to a mom during a darker moment." Clark told the server, "You put out a lot of light into the world. People need that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and all of Spokane."

People took to the comments section of the video to show their appreciation for Bryant's kindness. Kristy Swift wrote, "This was beautiful! Although I truly lol at the very end when a child in the background let out a huge scream." Michael Clabby commented on the moment Clark told Bryant to sit down, "It reminded me of being back in school I need to talk to you, sit down and your mind is racing there's smoke coming off your brain like 'what did I do? when did I do it? who was with me when I did it?' And then you hear that it's good news and you can swipe the sweat off your forehead. It's nice to see that there are good people out in this world still. Merry Christmas to everybody stay safe and have a wonderful day."

Elaine Fulton remarked, "This is the best! This story inspired me to help others today who needed it. Thanks always for your amazing heart, which is opening so many other hearts and finding opportunities." Sarah Welliver shared, "Honored to be present and feel this beautiful light attracting light energy. If you needed a reminder, it is still a beautiful world."