Woman uses viral social media post to raise money for elderly veteran who took delivery job to help repair his roof

OGDEN, Utah — A woman shared a video on social media to help raise money for an elderly veteran who had to take a delivery job to pay for home repairs, KABC reports.

A video Jen Cantwell Weiss shared on Nov. 15 went viral. It shows a delivery driver struggling to get up the steps of her home to drop off groceries.

“I didn’t watch this video until after he was already gone or else I would have gone out to help him,” Weiss wrote on Facebook.

A relative of the man saw the video and helped get Weiss in touch with the delivery driver.

After a brief introduction, Weiss learned the delivery driver’s name was Larry and that he was a veteran who suffered a stroke earlier in the year, so he had to learn how to walk again.

Weiss, who shared Larry’s story on Facebook, said he took the delivery job so he could pay for repairs to his roof.

She asked for people to help him with the repair costs and posted his Venmo information.

The donations soon started to roll in.

“I have been in touch with him, and he is overwhelmed with gratitude,” she wrote on Facebook. “He did NOT ask for any help, but I love that people are touched by his story and want to help lighten his load a bit.”

Larry said the donations covered his roof repairs, and he no longer has to do deliveries.

Weiss shared an update on Facebook, saying Larry and his wife “requested that rather than continuing to donate to him, you donate to Toys for Tots or your local food bank. He says he has received more than enough and feels there are so many others out there who need the help more than he does. He expresses his heartfelt gratitude for everything people have sent.”