When the world had to suddenly shift because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, sanitation worker Terrill Haigler immediately saw the effect it had on his job.
Despite working longer hours, his team in Philadelphia just couldn’t keep up, so their community started seeing a delay in service. To help everyone understand the situation, Terrill began sharing his own experiences on Instagram. When the page took off, he decided to use his newfound popularity to give back to the heroes around him!
Since he and his colleagues were working extended hours with materials that could potentially be harmful to them, Terrill knew they needed extra supplies. Unfortunately, their local government didn’t have the funds to support them.
That’s when Terrill decided to get creative! He designed a T-shirt that members of his online community could purchase to help raise money for this hardworking group. The shirts cost $20 each, and it wasn’t long before orders were rolling in.
Before the everyday hero knew it, he had raised more than $25,000!
Not only did he bring in enough money to buy supplies, but he also directed people’s attention to other essential items his coworkers have been lacking — like food and water to help them through their long shifts.
When asked what inspired him to go to these lengths for his neighbors, Terrill said, “You have a choice. You don’t have to use your voice, but you can choose to.”