Berkshire posted her Venmo on her Facebook page, and immediately had friends sending her money, she said. She finally cut everyone off at about 8:10 p.m. and when she did, they had raised about $1,300.
Berkshire and her husband, Daniel Berkshire, rounded up the tip to $1,500. He went to get the cash out of a nearby ATM.
Posted by Megan Denise Berkshire on Wednesday, December 16, 2020
When they told their server, she didn’t believe it at first.
Denise Lewis was her server that night, and said she initially thought Berkshire’s table didn’t like her. Berkshire seemed involved in her phone and the table was whispering about her, she said, so she thought she had done something wrong.
“Not that they were rude or anything, but the vibe wasn’t really right there,” Lewis said.
Lewis said she was hired at the restaurant at the end of January, had been laid off with the rest of the restaurant industry during the beginning of the pandemic and overall had a tough economic year. She doesn’t have kids of her own, but said, “it was a challenge at first.”
With the $1,500, she was able to catch up on some bills, she said, and provide presents for a family she knew who could use the helps.
“I have never received a tip that big, honestly,” Lewis said. “I felt grateful and, like I said, shocked.”
Both Berkshire and Lewis said they had seen other people giving out Christmas tips at other restaurants. Lewis said it happened again on Sunday night at her restaurant.
“It’s hopefully a cycle that continues through the pandemic and throughout the holiday and just loving on people,” Berkshire said.
Lewis said the large tip resorted her faith in humanity.
“It’s just good to know there’s still good people out there,” she said.
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