Kayzen Hunter and his family visit their local Waffle House weekly as a family outing to grab breakfast. Devonte Gardner, an employee there, was usually on the clock when they dropped in to eat. Hunter described the waiter as “a dedicated worker” and “the most joyous and positive” person with the “biggest smile,” which led the family to grow a rapport with him.

Gardner had been saving money to purchase a new car to help with his and his family’s transportation needs. However, he unexpectedly fell on hard times when living in his home became a safety hazard after he discovered that black mold was growing in the house, which also had a rat infestation. Due to this, he moved his wife and two young daughters into a motel nearby that cost $60 per night, which cut into the money he had been saving for a vehicle.

“All my tips and everything that I get go straight to my kids,” Gardner said, Atlanta Black Star reported. “I pay for the room, daily pay $60 a day, and it’s just eating my pocket alive.”

When Hunter learned of the unfortunate situation and that Gardner had been walking to work, he wanted to help his friend in any way possible. So, he and his parents decided to help the father of two get into a suitable rental property and created a GoFundMe account to raise $5,000 toward new transportation.

“He was looking for a decent priced car, and his family was unfortunate and ended up in an apartment riddled with black mold. He had to get his kids out and it set him back a lot. We are now helping him get into a clean rental property and want to help him even more by raising funds so he has a reliable vehicle to drive his family and get to and from work,” Hunter’s family wrote on the GoFundMe donation page.

Hunter surpassed his goal and became a huge blessing to Gardner because he has received 2.7K donations amounting to $100,505 and counting.

Blown away by the kindness of his 8-year-old buddy and his family, Gardner was in disbelief at how much money people had donated to help him and his family.

“I’m really touched deeply by it all. And as far as my little buddy goes, he’s my best friend for life,” Gardner told The Washington Post.