Viral video of elderly DoorDash driver working to make ends meet leads to $500,000 in donations

A 78-year-old delivery driver from Manchester has captured nationwide attention following a short clip of one of his deliveries which brought thousands of people to donate around $500,000 to help him and his wife. The man, Richard Pulley, works with DoorDash and became widely recognized online after video of him finishing a delivery circulated across social media.

Video Shared on Social Media

The video was originally shared by homeowner Brittany Smith, who posted the footage on TikTok after Pulley completed her order. In the clip, Pulley slowly walks toward the house, gently positions the food at the doorstep, and carefully walks away. The simple moment touched audiences online, several of whom wished to know more about the elderly delivery driver.

The clip received further traction after it was reposted on X by Collin Rugg, co-founder of Trending Politics, who emphasized Pulley’s story in an upload. Touched by what she witnessed, Smith referred to him online as “Richard the Starbucks Delivery Man.” She also inquired internet users to help find him. Within a few hours, social media users were able to find Pulley, resulting in attention to the situations faced by him and his wife.

Couple Returned to Work After Job Loss

Pulley later described that he had earlier retired. However, after his wife Brenda Pulley lost her job, the duo started working together as delivery drivers. For more than twelve months, the duo have divided the responsibilities. Brenda operates the vehicle while Richard manages the drop-offs by walking to residences and leaving the orders at customers’ doors.

The couple, who have been married for more than 56 years, said they had little choice but to keep working because of mounting financial strains. "When you’re past your mid-70s, there’s not exactly a line of people waiting to hire you," Brenda told WSMV-TV, according to the New York Post.

Financial Pressure and Medical Costs

Pulley also talked about the financial concerns the couple experienced after losing one of their incomes. "With just one income in the family, you have to push. Just losing that, we had to supplement it," he said.

In addition to their reduced income, the pair has been dealing with continuing medical expenses. Brenda described that healthcare expenses have been a significant source of strain. "Sometimes you just look at all the things that you need to pay for, because if they don’t, you’re going to end up in the hospital with something even more expensive than that," she stated.

Fundraiser Quickly Gains Support

After knowing about their situation, Smith introduced a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help the pair return to retirement without the burden of elevating bills. The campaign rapidly gained momentum as thousands of people who viewed the viral clip contributed donations. According to reports, the fundraiser gathered around $300,000 within the initial day and later approached $500,000 as support remained to grow. Smith later met the pair at a local burger restaurant to show them the donation page and the overwhelming number of contributions.

Overwhelmed by Kindness of Strangers

Pulley stated that he struggled to comprehend how many people were ready to help strangers they had never met. "It’s just really difficult to believe that there’s that many people that are that generous to try to help us People that don’t even know us," Pulley said, according to the New York Post. He mentioned that the support had already begun easing their worries. "We appreciate every one of them. It’s taking a lot of pressure off of us and making life liveable once again." The duo expressed deep gratitude to donors and to Smith for introducing the fundraiser that helped bring their story to the public’s attention.

FAQs:

Q1. Who is Richard Pulley?
Richard Pulley is a 78-year-old delivery driver who gained attention online after a video of his food delivery went viral. His story touched many people who learned he was working to support his family.

Q2. Why did Richard Pulley go viral?
A video of him carefully delivering a food order was shared on social media. The clip resonated with viewers and quickly spread across the internet.