Photo: @mdmotivator | TikTok
On February 18th, influencer Zachery Dereniowski walked into a halal Mediterranean grill in Ontario, Canada, asking for an order of 1,000 shawarmas. The purpose? "I want to give them to underprivileged families tonight at sunset for Ramadan," he told restaurant owner Hussein. The intention hit home. "My family is 10 people. I have 8 kids. I am always struggling to make a living. Thank God, I still try, and I still do," he told Dereniowski. After the two introduced themselves and shook hands, Hussein offered to give the shawarmas for free. "You have to think about the people who are hungry, who don't have the money to buy food," he said. The influencer asked if he could leave a tip. It turned out to be $1,000 dollars. Following the interaction online, Dereniowski's followers were inspired to donate to support Hussein, whose business, they learned, was struggling to break even. After Hussein cooked the first batch of 300 shawarmas, Dereniowski delivered them hot to local families. Then, the influencer returned to the restaurant to give Hussein the full cost of the shawarmas, and surprise him with an additional $50,000 donated by his followers through a crowdfunding platform. Through tears and shock, Hussein mustered, "I've spent all my life giving help. First time I got the help. I swear to God, I owe you my life."
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