Customers at the Tappahannock Burger King were accustomed to seeing Bateman working the drive-thru window with a constant smile on her face. Cunningham said, “You walk through the drive-thru at any given moment, and she’s just as kind.
According to WTVR, Bateman has been a fast-food employee since 1987 and reportedly enjoys her profession. But for seven years, she had to travel a mile to go to work. After being fired from a second job, Bateman lost her automobile, yet she never lost her optimistic outlook.
I frequently see her walking, so I thought it would be good to do something like this for someone in our neighborhood, said Cunningham.
The neighborhood established a GoFundMe page for Bateman and gave her little over $4,200. In less than two weeks, 135 people donated, according to WTVR. The funds were used to purchase a new vehicle for Bateman, and the neighborhood made sure to give her any spare change to assist cover the cost of the vehicle’s insurance.
After Bateman’s shift one day in October 2021, they presented her with a low-mileage maroon 2007 Buick.
As she gave Bateman the keys to her new car, Vazquez said, “We as a town of Tappahannock wanted to present you a little bit of thanks for your hard work, for always bringing us positive energy.”
Immediately, Bateman was overcome with grief and sobbed, “Oh my God! Thank you a lot! It was a touching exchange between the employee and her devoted clients. In less than two weeks, a small community was able to raise all of this money, according to Vazquez. “It just proves she is valued,”
Watch her reaction in the video below:
