88-year-old Army veteran working at grocery store receives over $1.7M in donations after viral video

Eighty-eight-year-old Army veteran Edmund Bambas is finally getting a chance to retire after his story went viral online, raising over $1.7 million in donations from strangers.

A chance encounter on social media led Australian influencer Sam Weidenhofer and US influencer Mike McKinstry to locate the elderly veteran at a Meijer supermarket in Brighton, Michigan, where he works five days a week, eight hours a day. In a heart-wrenching video shared by Weidenhofer, Bambas revealed that he was forced back into work after his General Motors pension was taken away when the company filed for bankruptcy years later.

Bambas' life took a drastic turn when his wife became seriously ill and their insurance coverage was reduced to just $10,000. The veteran then sold everything he owned, barely scraping by after his wife passed away seven years ago. Throughout it all, Bambas has struggled with maintaining stability, but remains determined and resolute.

In the video, Weidenhofer breaks down in tears as he presents Bambas with a $400 tip from the public. This small gesture has turned into an extraordinary act of kindness - $1.7 million in donations, supported by over 62,000 people, is set to aid Bambas' retirement and alleviate his financial struggles.

A statement on the GoFundMe page says that every dollar donated goes directly towards supporting Bambas, covering living expenses, medical care, and even small joys that bring meaning to life. It serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by many seniors - veterans in particular - who are fighting to survive despite facing unimaginable hardships.

General Motors has yet to comment on their stance regarding Bambas' situation, but it is clear that the vast majority of people in this country are moved by his story and want to help him out.

man, its so beautiful to see good karma doing its thing . I mean, who wouldn't wanna help out an 88-year-old vet struggling to make ends meet? the fact that it was a random social media encounter that led to this is just wild... but in a good way . I love how people came together to support Edmund Bambas and give him a second chance at retirement. its amazing what can happen when we put our heads together and show some kindness .

OMG u guys r not ready 4 dis a 88 yr old army vet just got $1.7M in donations after gofundme page went viral... but think bout the guy's life before dat tho his wife passed away & their insurance was only $10k lol what kinda health insurance is that?! he had to sell EVERYTHING to survive & still has 2 work 8 hrs/day @ meijer supermarket it's heartbreaking but also super inspiring people r coming together 4 him, but what about all the others like him who ain't got dat kinda luck?

OMG u can't even imagine the struggles Edmund's gone thru lol 88 yrs old & still workin like a dog 5 days a wk . Its crazy how 1 small act of kindness from Sam (that vid went viral LOL) got ppl to donate a million dollars ! its like they say, 'small gestures can make BIG differences' . I feel bad for Edmund's wife who had to pass away 7 yrs ago & he's still dealin w/ the financial struggles . GM should really look into this tho, but im guessin they dont wanna get all 'embarrassed' lol anyways, its a beautiful thing ppl are comin together to help him out .

I'm just so moved by Edmund's story ! $1.7 million is insane, and it's not like he was asking for much - just enough to live a decent life after all the struggles he faced. It makes me think of my own grandma, who always had to be super careful with her finances because she was single when I was growing up . To see people from all over the world come together like this is just amazing . The fact that General Motors isn't commenting on it doesn't bother me - I'm sure they're doing what's best for their own company, but Edmund deserves our support no matter what .

I mean, what's the point of being a hero if you can't even get your pension back when the company goes bankrupt? It's like they expected him to just magically survive on scraps after his wife passed away... 62k people donating is amazing tho, maybe it'll give him the stability he needs for once

I mean, can you believe how one guy's life has been turned around like that ? It's crazy how social media can connect us with people we wouldn't have known otherwise, right? And it's wild that this video of Edmund Bambas' story went viral and ended up raising over $1.7 million for him . I think it's amazing that so many strangers are willing to help someone they don't even know, just because they feel bad for them . It shows that there's still good in the world, you know? And it's also a reminder of how tough life can be, especially for seniors like Bambas who have been through so much trauma and hardship . Let's hope his retirement is peaceful and stress-free .

Can you believe this dude's story? $1.7 million for a guy who just wants to retire and live comfortably after serving our country for years I mean, it's not just the money that's amazing, but the kindness and compassion of strangers who saw his post and wanted to help out. It's truly inspiring to see people come together like this And I'm glad the GoFundMe page is transparent about how the donations are being used - no surprises there! The fact that GM hasn't commented yet just shows you, it's all about the people who care and want to make a difference in his life This story needs more of these kind of feels, let's keep spreading positivity like this!

OMG I just saw this video of Edmund Bambas and I'm like, totally blown away ! The numbers though... $1.7 million raised, 62k+ people supporting him That's insane! What's even more heartbreaking is that he was forced back to work after his pension got taken away . And can you believe he's been struggling for years? It's like, we need to do better as a society . Anyway, here are some stats to put this into perspective:

* Average life expectancy in the US: 78.7 years old
* Proportion of people living below poverty line: 12.9% (2020 data)
* Amount of money donated per day on GoFundMe (during Bambas' campaign): $13k

Let's hope this story inspires some change and raises awareness about the struggles our seniors face !

I'm so glad someone stepped up to help Edmund out! I mean, can you imagine having to sell everything just to make ends meet? It's heartbreaking that his GM pension was taken away like that. But what really gets me is how the public has come together to support him now. $1.7 million is insane! I'm sure it'll make a huge difference in his life. Let's hope GM looks into helping him out too, but even if not, at least he knows he's got people looking out for him

Wow - I mean, can you even believe a $1.7 million donation just for one person? It's crazy how social media can bring people together like that! The fact that he was struggling so much and then everyone just comes together to help him out... it's really inspiring .

omg what a heartwarming story ! i mean i know we're all about those 401k plans and stuff now (2008, remember?), but it's amazing to see the power of social media come together like this! sam and mike are total heroes for tracking down edmund and sharing his story with the world . and $1.7 million? wow, that's just insane . i'm sure edmund will be able to enjoy his retirement in style now . it's a great reminder that there are still good people out there who care about each other (and by 'care', i mean they want to donate money ). anyway, kudos to the gofundme page for making it so easy to donate .

I'm like totally amazed by Edmund's story I mean, who wouldn't want to help someone out after seeing how hard they've been struggling? But you know what's even crazier? I was just reading this article about the new Meijer store that opened up downtown and I saw a sign that said they're hiring 500 people... does that mean Edmund's gonna be able to find a new job now? And can you believe he's been working for like 5 days a week? That's crazy! Does he even get any time off?