Uber Driver Buys New Dress for Passenger Who Told Her She Couldn't Afford an Outfit for Church
A kind-hearted Uber driver warmed hearts this week when she bought a new church dress and a gift card for a passenger who had said she couldn’t afford any new clothes until Christmastime. The generous act of kindness quickly went viral after a video of the exchange was posted on Instagram.
Uber driver Lamiyah Jabbar couldn’t stop thinking about a conversation she had with a passenger named Diane one morning last week. As they drove to Diane’s workplace, a nearby fast-food restaurant, the older woman shared with Jabbar that her family was dealing with financial struggles. In fact, some of the purchases she had been hoping for would have to wait until Christmas.
Among the things Diane wanted was a new dress to wear to church. However, since helping to care for her grandchildren was more important to her than working additional hours for some extra cash, a new dress just wasn’t affordable.
“She was communicating to me how she takes care of grandkids and because she takes care of her grandkids, she doesn’t really have money leftover to be able to buy herself stuff,” Jabbar told CBS News.
“This was on my mind from the moment she got out my car,” Jabbar wrote on Instagram. “Can you imagine waiting till Christmas just to get a robe, house shoes and a outfit for church,” she added. After she dropped Diane off, Jabbar just couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation.
“When Diane mentioned that she was waiting for Christmas to gift herself with a robe, house shoes and new dress I couldn’t help but think she shouldn’t have to wait so long for something some people can get whenever they please,” Jabbar told The Western Journal. “I was in a position to help with that.”
She decided the grandma deserved something to make her feel special. Driving to a local Old Navy store, Jabbar picked out a dress she thought would suit Diane well. She also purchased a Visa gift card to help her out with any of the other items or any household needs her family might have.
“We all aren’t afforded the same opportunities,” the Uber driver told WAGA-TV. “So if we can help each other in any way to make their day or lives better we should, without hesitation, because helping each other can be contagious.”
Driving back to the fast-food restaurant, Jabbar pulled into the drive-thru with the new dress.
“Hey y’all,” she says to the camera. ” We about to surprise somebody.” The video shows Jabbar driving up to the window, where Diane is working.
“Hi Diane, you remember me?” she says cheerfully.
“I bought you a dress. Because you said you needed something to wear to church.”
Diane broke into a huge smile, clearly touched by the sweet gesture.
“Thank you so much, honey!” she said. “This has been such a horrible day but you’ve just made my whole day so much better.”
Jabbar told CBS that she doesn’t usually record acts of kindness, but she did this time because she wanted to capture the look on Diane’s face. She wasn’t expecting the response from other social media users to be so positive. The original video has been viewed over 19 thousand times.
She told The Western Journal, “I want to do even more because the love is pouring in from all over the world.”
“Literally someone said ‘You are my hero. I was having a horrible week and was ready to give up on life.'” Jabbar said she burst into tears when she heard that. “We are sharing too much negativity and not showcasing enough positivity.”
However, she said her story proves that “the little things matter.”
“I always do small things. I would like to partner with some people and do some bigger giveaways, because everyone could use some help.”
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