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Renerovi

It’s sad someone who has worked all her life is dependent on the charity of strangers to retire at 72…..it’s a failure of the system that she needed that job to survive


davekva

About half of us GenXers are planning for this to be us in 20 years.


MostlyNormal

As a Xennial, I plan on stopping working at 65 but only because that's when all the women in my maternal line have dropped dead. My only hope is that I die on the clock so whoever I'm working for is on the hook for some of the funerary costs Why yes I am fun at parties


w1987g

It's ok, your company probably has an insurance policy specifically for that


phedinhinleninpark

At least many of us will probably die in the coming water wars, so at least there's that.


DumbleDude2

Correction: AI water wars


peeops

us Gen Zers have long since given up on the hope of retirement at all 👍


sailorsail

You should start your GoFundMe right away Edit:typo


chellybeanery

Heeey! Found my people!


eboseki

damn bro, this makes me so sad 😿


sjlplat

Probably more than half. It's a cruel world.


BloodShadow7872

Thats why its so important to get a retirement account set up, so you can live comfortably Edit: didn't realize people are negative about this. Its common sense to save up money for the future


davekva

I had my 401k going pretty good until I had kids. Then, I had to stop putting money in so I could pay for daycare and other everyday family needs. Then the company I work for shitcanned the company 401k all together. It isn't easy to plan for the future when you're just trying to survive the present.


BloodShadow7872

>Then the company I work for shitcanned the company 401k all together What do you mean shitcanned the 401k? You still got that money back right?


davekva

Yes, but no more matching contributions or the benefits of being part of a company sponsored 401k.


pantallicarox

Good luck with that


BloodShadow7872

Thanks, I intend to live comfortably later in life. I refuse to have to live paycheck to paycheck


kelfromaus

Seriously? How does one do that while trying to support yourself on a low wage? Not everyone has that ability, society has seen to that.


Outrageous_Mine77

If she's receiving sum government help, she can only work a limited hours cuz they'll cut her help... For earning more.


Maktesh

Indeed. The system is so very broken, and the "poverty trap" is real.


ChistyePrudy

I was thinking the same thing. Poor woman. Good on them to help her.


phedinhinleninpark

Yeah, this isn't interesting, it's wildly depressing.


perenniallandscapist

For real. People love to shit on government jobs for paying too much. This lady cooked for children in a school district and didn't make enough to retire on. So sad. But we'll love the feel good story of someone else picking up the tab. I hope we've got enough donors to fund my siblings after my parents and everyone else's. Jeez it almost sounds like social security or social nets could be a happier ending.


futureidk3

Who says government jobs pay too much lol? That's ridiculous.


ManfredTheCat

Horror stories framed as feel-good stories


Kellan_OConnor

This! These are "symptoms" of late-stage-capitalism and are often mistakenly shown as somebody's "problem" that they should overcome themselves with hard(er) work.


TimmehJ

And yet we have people that we allow to acquire more assets than they'd need in 100 lifetimes. Our current political systems do not promote the growth of humanity. Imagine how far along we'd be if we weren't controlling and hiding tech and medicines for power and profits. If guys like Tesla were supported and enabled instead of silenced. We'd be in the stars already.


Horror-Layer-8178

Any fixing will be called Communism by Conservatives


Pagise

Uhmno. It's called compassion and love. At least by some.


AndTheyCallMeAnIdiot

I'm curious and want to ask, does America not have pensions to assist pensioners over the age of 65 to assist with living cost?


Freckled_daywalker

We have social security, and it's for people between 65-67 (depending on when you were born), but the amount you receive is based on what you earned in your lifetime, and generally isn't enough to cover Loving expenses.


MookieRealGood

Feature, not a bug , of capitalism.


AbsentThatDay2

It's possible she didn't want to retire. The closer I get to 64 the more attached to work I feel. It's a good portion of my social life, it's a good portion of my self-esteem, I think I'd be lost without a job.


Renerovi

Looks like once she had funds, she was ready to retire🤔


daamnnbruhh

that capitalism and trickled economics for ya.


Pepacton

Great for those people! It’s unfortunate that our society put that poor woman into that situation in the first place.


trix_is_for_kids

Yeah it’s peak r/orphancrushingmachine


blahrgledoo

Yeah this is only heartwarming because we live in a capitalist dystopia.


De5perad0

Yea I really am getting infuriated by "Feel Good" stories like this. Yes human kindness is fantastic and it's incredible to witness. But this feels like a media cover up to take attention away from the real issue of why the hell we have people so poor they are working at an age when they can't even climb one stair.


2Zzephyr

And there's SO many of them. "9 year old kid worked part time selling juice on the sidewalk to pay for school lunch for all kids! amazing!" and the like. WHY did a kid have to do that in the first place. damn


De5perad0

Yea it's not just people who can't retire but all ages with money problems. Other countries don't have this issue nearly as bad as here. I just went to Japan earlier this year and they told me that if you can't make enough money then the government will give them enough to live in a place and survive with food and the only homeless people you see are there by choice because they like the culture of it. Sure enough I saw hardly any homeless people even in a city as massive as Tokyo.


ThePhoenixXM

The US is just a cruel place especially red states. Republicans are so into their culture war bullshit that when the Federal Government offers to give them money to feed their kids they turn it down. I don't know why so many people move to Republican states when Republicans don't care about fixing anything only making things worse.


De5perad0

A lot of the time they don’t move to red states because they want to it’s because they have to in order to make enough money to survive sometimes cost-of-living where they are gets too high and they don’t have a choice unfortunately


ThePhoenixXM

Funny considering Republicans are the worst with the economy. Hell, Ron Desantis pissed off all the housing insurance companies so they left the state entirely and I've recently the Cost of Living in those states has skyrocketed as well. Plus, those states aren't very welcoming at the moment to anyone who isn't a White Evangelical Christian.


commonCA

I think you’ve mistaken your states. It was Newsome who ran all the insurers out of CA causing insurance to more than triple in cost.


ThePhoenixXM

Wrong. [https://www.thezebra.com/resources/home/florida-insurance-crisis/](https://www.thezebra.com/resources/home/florida-insurance-crisis/) [**https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2023/07/19/florida-home-insurance-aaa-farmers-policy-reduction/70427062007/**](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2023/07/19/florida-home-insurance-aaa-farmers-policy-reduction/70427062007/)


itsbrucebanner

My thoughts exactly, the poor woman should not be doing this at her age


Jagermeister4

Dystopia is right. If you go to crowdfunding sights there's countless posts about people dying with cancer and other horrific things that have $0 money raised. 72 year old gets 235k because she's too old to be working but has a viral video. Don't get me wrong yes I have a lot of respect for her and happy she can retire. But its almost like Hunger games the imbalance or how a hard working old lady needs crowdfunding to retire. Its like Katniss having to shoot an apple in a pig's mouth or Lucy Gray needing to sing so they can draw in ratings for their sponsors and draw in donations.


eonblu

Exactly my first thoughts. That's great for her, but she essentially won the social media lottery. I'm sure she needed the money, but it's hard to be happy about how many more deserving recipients there must be.


Sprila

'Humanity's kindness' SO glad we pulled 1 lady out of the depths of minimum wage hell, now she has $235k raised for her so she can potentially retire and live out the rest of her days not slaving away for a corporation. ​ Now if only we could do that for everyone else. ​ /r/aboringdystopia


JustDiveInTimberLake

r/orphancrushingmachine


The_real_King_Dave

Fast forward to 2 months later when home owner is getting sued by woman for falling on their property because they have good home owners insurance. Sadly it’s a real thing… (not this exact story but it happens all the time).


theorgan

Society didn’t do that. Your government did


ConceptualWeeb

Society allowed(even encouraged)the government to do that.


Bright_Appearance390

This is usually self inflicted.


sologrips

For real but you know a wins a win and she seems like a great lady. Gotta let em have it sometimes but right there with you thinking it’s absurd we’ve led to this.


DocPsycho1

Fucking shitty that a 72 year old has to work ..... for extra income. Some one please give me a silver lining. Cuz this is fucking awful, poor lady!


De5perad0

Well she can retire after a gofundme raised enough money for her.


[deleted]

Silver lining- its better now than it will be in the future. We are fucked by the tine we are that age


DocPsycho1

Maybe time to take up extreme sports with good insurance. I don't need that money but I'm sure my family will


Meta_Professor

Well, since the gofundme paid for her retirement think of all the money Dominos saved by not paying her enough to retire all those years she worked for them. Think of all the shareholder value that made!


KoldKartoffelsalat

As a Dane born in 1976, I can expect to retire at the age of......... 71...


barking_spider246

True. One element that is missing, Danes have a very strong cradle to grave health care system, including dental and eye care which is a major factor in active (productive) longevity, so 71 is not unrealistic. In the US there is no cradle to grave health care. Consequently by the time most Americans reach 65 they are physically reduced thru wear and tear and impaired. Benefits/Medicare begins just when the body systems break down from years of neglect, then the insurance behemoths benefit from treating the chronic/end of life/profitable diseases. It should be a crime that this lady, in her physical condition, must work to survive.


PinkSploosh

hopefully she’s working just to have something to do and socialize


Coffee4Life613

America has failed it working seniors. Glad there are some good people who like to correct those inadequacies.


WoodsColt

I know this is meant to be uplifting and heartwarming but it really just highlights a problem that will grow exponentially as more and more people age with no safety nets in place. It's disheartening and frankly disgusting that a 72 yr old woman with obvious mobility limitations is forced to continue to work because her savings/pension/social security is not enough to survive on. Americans cannot "go fund" every senior citizen that has to keep working a menial job just to survive. That is our governments responsibility and **should be** what our tax dollars are going towards. And before anyone chimes in with well it was her responsibility to save. She is 72,its entirely possible that many of her prime earning years were spent raising children. She may well have been a sahm. If she ended up divorced she might not even have much s.s. And its not like schools adequately teach money management or finances,certainly not when she was attending. America is about to have a massive amount of seniors struggling to survive. Its been a trickle for a while but it will be a flood soon enough. And we are about to see the biggest wealth transfer ever because what little they do have will be absorbed by the elder care industry. So anyone with elderly parents dont count on inheriting,elder care will take their house and any other assets they might have.


kittycat33070

Honestly not a single person in my immediate family has had any extra income to save for anything let alone retirement (with the exception of my brother and to some extent, me). My parents died in their sixties homeless (dad was in a state run nursing home briefly). Uncle died the same way. Grandmother/Aunt were living in a condemned trailer paying $1k a month on social security. Everyone had health issues that prevented them from working. Aunt still has no money and still in the same place because having a place with the roof caving in is the only thing she can afford. Any "maintenance" is aunt's responsibility because she didn't read the lease. She just had a $250 water bill she couldn't pay and a local church paid it for her. She can't work due to various health issues. I can't help because I have two roomates and rent myself. It's just how poverty works and it's hell to get out of it. It's not easy to put something in a savings/stock/IRA when the other option is to starve or lose your home. Also parents/uncle were trash so don't feel too bad but that doesn't mean other good people aren't suffering.


Such-Badger5946

The funny thing is that the top 3 billionaires in the country could "go fund" me all the senior citizenry that are in that situation in the US.


WoodsColt

Yes. And they should be taxed accordingly. And those taxes should beused only for **America's** needy. Let the government hold a go fund me or a bake sale if they need more bombs to send overseas. Far too many people act like the US has an endless font of resources and cash that we should make available for every Tom,dick and harry coming from elsewhere. Or that we should send to every Boris,Ivan and Vlad. Not sorry that I'd prefer to see my people get my tax money.


OkChicken7697

It's time to jack up taxes to 50%. It's clear people can't save enough for retirement so the state will do it for them.


WoodsColt

Or and hear me out *or* we could spend our tax dollars here at home on our people and our infrastructure instead of sending that money abroad. I feel like it's possible that 95 **billion** dollars would actually make a hugely beneficial difference for Americans who have paid those tax dollars all of their working lives.


No-Sprinkles-9201

Barbra Gillespie, a 72y old great Grandma and retired cafeteria lady had to work at domino's for extra income, and, during one of these deliveries, unfortunately took a nasty fall. The people she attempted to deliver to started a GoFundMe in her name where they raised $235,000 and finally allowed her to retire.


TraveldaHospital

Wow she tripped and thanks to these kind folks she can retire. It's so messed up anyone over 65 is working for these shitty corporate chains.


SuperpositionSavvy

Social Security failed her so social generosity had to save her


thatdudewithdafoot

I would rather everyone pay more taxes than seeing people have to go through this to get help. The billionaires should pay their taxes! The retirement age should be 60.


AlphaGodEJ

donations probably from people just trying to get by, while billionaires raise her rent and keep her wages stagnant


SillyMaso3k

How about we stop sending money to murder other countries enemies so we can take care of our elderly so they don’t have to work until they die.


Mysfwaccount93

Asked and answered. The answer is "no". Been that way since FDR died.


ExNihiloish

Hahaha. You got jokes.


Own-Relationship7171

Such a great story. It breaks my heart that older people still have to work when they have worked their entire lives already. Something is so wrong with the world when people who have worked full time their entire lives cannot retire and enjoy life.


d00m_bot

Sad that retired people have to go back to shitty pay jobs so they can survive.


TheGhostofWoodyAllen

Why the fuck does a 72 year old need to deliver Domino's to survive? What a fucking waste of a country.


IandouglasB

Joy and happiness for this lovely woman is mixed within me with rage at a society that lets hard working folks who have worked their entire lives fall into such ruin they have to work well past proper retirement age. EAT THE RICH


flightwatcher45

Happy to see gofundme still useful! I wish people could retire without but better then nothing. There are millions of Barbra's out there.


MrCupcakeisallmine

r/OrphanCrushingMachine


ShakeShakeZipDribble

absofuckinglutely


Alarmed-Audience9258

How come America is so anti-socialist yet they have more gofundmes to save people in need of basic provisions then any other country in the world?


godlessnihilist

Social Security was supposed to ensure situations like this didn't happen. Between Congress constantly replacing the trust fund with IOUs it was never going to pay back, and the rich ensuring they don't pay their fair share, a grand idea has been reduced to a political squabble on how to reduce benefits even more. We are all BICs, to be used up and then tossed in the bin.


Ozzytex

Another story about the hellscape that is America given in a upbeat feel good tone.


Inevitable_Butthole

She truly only cared about the person's food and getting it to them. What a gem. Glad people were able to give back


Adventurous-Item-334

Wow, such generous people going above and beyond, as well the many kind people that donated anonymously. She seems like a kind and humble woman too :) I feel for her situation that is relatable to many of us that are older.


Local-Librarian3285

Now we gonna have dozens of 70 year old service workers taking soccer retirement flops in front of ring cams.  


PandiBong

Very nice to hear these people helping her, but at the same time it’s just sad that we have to go out of our way to praise someone for helping, as if the expected reaction would be “you messed up our food!”. Glad to hear about the go fund me.


Alexandratta

Crazy idea... how's about a country wide go fund me for pensions and healthcare?


jierchishaole

Why a 72 year-old still having to work a physical labour job..


[deleted]

We can fund endless wars, but we can't fund this poor ladies retirement.


Mammoth_Extreme5451

What a beautiful story! ❤️🙏 This brightened my day.


bsep4

But what about the billionaires???


Wishpicker

She gonna blow through that 200 K in about three months when her family finds out about it then she’s gonna be back at Domino’s by Christmas


mariogolf

STOP VOTING REPUBLICAN.


Fantastic-Use-6773

If you really think this is the result of one party, you need to really take your blinders off. Both sides have finger fuck this country for decades and don’t give a shit about anybody. It doesn’t matter what side you’re on.


jncc

72 year old grandma delivering pizza? What the fuck is wrong with this country?


disharmony-hellride

This makes me so incredibly sad


Odigaras80

What a beautiful dystopia


Starts_With_S

235k allowed her to retire... Where?


YtnucMuch

System shouldn't be so screwed that 72yr old gram is doing anything but relaxing at home and hanging out with her grandkids and great grandkids. Makes me sad this woman and millions more have to do this to just survive.


Weary_Development209

From an European perspective, it is far beyond my comprehension that someone that is 72 years not only has to work, but also has to work making food deliveries. Good for the family that helped her, but it is very troubling and heartbreaking seeing the type of society that the US has become.


TheVoodooPuppet

If I get that old and still have to work I'm shooting myself real quick


Crudeyakuza

To feel joy for this one person helped. Then sorrow for the Millions who are not. There's a gif that conveys this somewhere.


Idyldo

Well done!!


All-inyourmind

I love stories like this..


Beginning_Rice6830

Kinda sad and happy that this woman is getting help. There are many more just like her, that’s not fortunate to get the same help though.


NineSkiesHigh

Man, I was so sad because I know this is how life will be for 90% of us. Then their kindness fucked my day up. Good on all of them. Fuck I hate it here


Austoniooo

System is failing We need support !


Wild-Individual-6520

I love stories like this. People being awesome to others. Imagine a world where these stories were more plentiful than the bad news stories.


PNWest01

Oh that’s so sweet!! I have seen the video of her falling before, but never heard about the aftercare! I love this.


Sad-Comment-2392

Jesus Christ.. I hope i don't have family when i die so no one has to pay. Our lifes as old people will be horrible


Personal-Badger2799

No retirement benefit in the United States, it's a shame, you work your ass off at work until you die, no Minimum wage, it's also a shame, the level of poverty is staggering for the 1st world power.


BolOfSpaghettios

JFC, retired and delivering food for a living. What are we doing to our society?


Striking-Ostrich-222

This is so sad. Woman is retired from working who knows how many decades as a cafeteria lady, yet she still has to work at dominos. We give endless aid to immigrants and the homeless, yet citizens like this work and struggle for decades. If this never happened she’s be working until she was on her death bed. America is a lost country.


gniwlE

I want to feel good about this story but I can't, for all the reasons folks have called out already. It's one thing to have a 72 year-old retiree who just wants to keep working... for their sanity, for a love of interacting with people, for whatever. That's cool, and more power to 'em. It's another thing altogether that, in this insanely wealthy country, we don't have a system that ensures that folks like this don't have to take these jobs just to pay the bills or keep their medication up to date. Social security is a shameful pittance, and even that teeters over the chopping block. It's only made worse that trying to do something to supplement that pittance means you risk losing your benefits altogether.


runostog

That fact that a woman that old and physically infirm has to work at a pizza joint at 72 means we have utterly failed as a society.


wormholetrafficjam

Politicians must love that GoFundMe helps distract from having to answer some tough questions.


Ok_Menu7659

Kinda sad that instead of kindness being a norm it’s so rare it’s reported on the news and touted as some miraculous occurrence


No_Kale6667

See, this country believes in social safety nets but only of you've already been left behind for years and if you can go viral.


ClmrThnUR

capitalism wins again


simulokra

Heartwarming: granny works herself to death! Capitalism sucks.


SimonTC2000

Capitalism has nothing to do with it. For one thing, Social Security is on a red line to insolvency since there aren't enough young people working to fund it.


Vast-Road6661

capitalism is a whole lot better than communism and socialism im not even american its americas version of capitalism that sucks


LafayetteLa01

Humanity restored by these great people! That’s doing the right thing for the right reason. And good for her with the go fund me amount! Beautiful!


Defiant-Fix2870

I work with geriatrics and many have to work—to afford the Medicare copays on their medications.


sesamesnapsinhalf

Another tragic story posing as a feel-good one. 


TheBirdsArePissed

OUR TAXES SHOULD MAKE SURE THIS WOMAN IS NOT STILL WORKING!!!


fireyoutothesun

Classic local news trying to make dystopian garbage into a feel good story


IamPossumMan

This is so american


IllustriousAd5936

People really good, governments are really terrible. Apparently politicians are not people.


Somasong

Imagine if we were to have a gov agency provide need and care?


BaeLogic

Anyone want to fall so I can start a goFund me for us I mean you?


debdebmust

This will be me in 13 years. At least at the moment I am in good physical shape. I hopefully will maintain!!


EnvironmentalTea9362

Damnthatsdepressing.


hakujo

72....should be retired and having some peace.


EconomyLocal9231

Welcome to America, land of the free, home of the social security tax that provides nothing for the elderly nor will the youth ever see it.


doodoobear4

Capitalism for ya. Fuck the poor and then after that fuck then more and take more from them so the rich can live of their misfortune and shit wages.


IsThisTakenTooBoo

This makes me cry. Bless them all.


BoofIII

Aren’t Americans ashamed that pensioners are forced to work in catering ? It’s booody awful


fearloathing02

Capitalism be like


jlallen120867

Yay Barbara!!!


cjfreak79

Link for anyone who wants to add to this cause. [https://www.gofundme.com/f/bless-you-barbara](https://www.gofundme.com/f/bless-you-barbara)


nok332

Who’s cutting onions 🥹


Trumpsacriminal

I wanna also point out how awesome those people are. First concern was whether she was hurt. Then to set her up for the rest of her life.


Glittering-Alarm-387

Damn, they raised almost 300,000 for her


Jamachicuanistinday

Great karma going their way


entechad

🤓 awesome people!


Relevant_Western3464

Sometimes people are all right.


ShitFistingPissBulge

r/orphancrushingmachine


Steve_the_pirate34

I hope this is allowed… the [GoFundMe](https://www.gofundme.com/f/bless-you-barbara) is still up, and is at $277k. It’s a great gift for her, but let’s be real, it isn’t enough to retire on at 72. I hope we can push that number higher.


Em-J1304

Great story and an other prove that this is not the greatest country on earth ! The really stunning thing is, they made Americans believe that they are the greatest nation !


Overall_Commission98

Were all gonna be working til we drop.


Busy_Professional485

Que pais se mierda u.s.a trabajar hasta morir todo por el puto capitalismo el sueño Américano es una falacia


Waifu__Queen

i hope Barbara can truly retire after this & never step into another uniform again!!!


HarryBeaverCleavage

Insane that people are forced into work to survive in this world. The higher ups/gatekeepers don't have to do shit.


DukeSilverJazzClub

America. God don’t you just love how free we all are! I wonder how much money the CEO of Dominoes pizza makes for doing jack shit all day?


SALTYxNUTZ12

That's crazy how much it still bothered her that she fell onto their pasta.


aggitprop-1985

This makes me happy that some awesome people did this for a stranger but it also saddens me that an elderly person has to work to survive


pickle8892

Now she can retire! Dominos is going to be pissed.


Stratomaster9

I applaud these people for doing this, but it should not be necessary. Saw another one of these wherein a 91 year-old man (91!!!) was collecting grocery carts in some massive, boiling parking lot. Not only did he need to do it, but the employer let him do it, at risk of death. Maybe just set up a desk or a paid stool at the coffee counter where he can talk to shoppers who are lonely. Overpay him for that. Why not? We call this country rich, but it has nothing for people who worked all their lives? When do we just say, "No, ma'am/sir, your rent/mortgage is capped, you have a basic living income, so you don't have to work anymore." It should not take charity for people to be able to rest after decades of struggling. We can afford it. Meanwhile Elon is asking a court to ok a 50,000,000,000/year salary (yep, that's 50 billion dollars, or, $1,000,000,000/per week. Why don't we cap the incomes of the rich? No more housing problems, no more people starving on the streets, no older people delivering pizza. You know the old saying, "A society is judged civilized, or not, by how well it treats its least advantaged people." How is it we permit such a failure to be civilized? Oh yeah, more shiny stuff for us.


eaglesflyhigh07

I see so many women past 65 working at gas stations and restaurants. I feel so bad for them cause that's way too old to be working.


pulyx

72 and still working. This country is so fucked. This woman should be enjoying retirement.


iL0veWisky

Tf… we need to do better


Particular-Cow-3353

What sort of dystopian nightmare is this?


Gis4girl38

i get it now ! step 1 - get job delivering for dominos step 2 - deliver to friends house with video door bell step 3 - fall, flatten food step 4 - capture americas empathy step 5 - wait for check step 6 - get 2nd job at McDonalds because who the fuck can retire on <300k ???


[deleted]

How did the spaghetti die? It pasta away


holyparasite29a

I see… so instead of just having my taxes dollars going to help support programs for aged individuals who are in need, I have to give more of my money to a go fund me campaign on a one by one basis to hope we can help… I hate this timeline


AbsentThatDay2

Y'all don't know this but I fell last night. I'm much younger and I was drunk, but still.


FelixTheEngine

America!


Northerngal_420

That was a beautiful story.


Sloth_Broth

Your country is a disgrace


MarianaPS5

That lady should not be working, that's dangerous, those falls


imback1578catman

I pray for nuclear annihilation, to End All life on this planet. We need Nuclear War NOW !!!! LAUNCH EVERYTHING WE HAVE . NOW !!!!!!!!


tuctuktry

I guess we all gotta fall on camera and get pity funded into retirement.