The Starbucks on the Marshall University Campus in Huntington, West Virginia, was always like a small family with Karen Collinsworth, 65, at the head of the table.
The decades-long supervisor at the famous coffee shop location loved what she did, as well as the teams of aspiring young students who made up her staff.
Word spread concerning the story of an unfortunate double whammy of bad luck that befell Collinsworth when her car—a 2004 Kia that always had some kind of problem—was burglarized; the first thief taking the catalytic converter, and the second going in and stealing interior components.
At this point, Gray and her teammates, who always knew Collinsworth had trouble with her car, decided that there had to be something they could do to help.
Discussing what they might be able to accomplish, the team decided that they might be able to fundraise some money for repairs since so many people around campus knew the 65-year-old barista and valued her. The fundraiser amassed $40,000, headlined by a $5,000 donation from the president of Marshall University. This enabled them to quell down the idea of repairs and reconsider a better option. Collinsworth is looking at a brand-new Subarus, all the while feeling the love and goodwill those decades of serving coffee with a smile have accumulated.