COLUMBIA, Md. — It's been a tough couple of years for a lot of restaurant workers.
"I went more than three months without working. No money, no pay," said Roxanna Salinas, who has worked for the Silver Diner for the last seven years.
Tori Locher has also been struggling. "I had a conversation with myself, like how am I going to pay my bills," she said.
But something incredible is happening this holiday season at the Silver Diner in Columbia, Maryland.
"These holidays have been the best," said Salinas.
Last week, she served a group of seven, who'd come in just for coffee. Their total bill was $25. But they left Salinas a $910 tip in cash. She immediately shared the news with her family in El Salvador.
"My mom was crying, she was so happy. She said 'God bless you daughter!'" Now Salinas is crying too. "I feel so blessed. It doesn't make me a millionaire. But it's something to make you feel appreciated," she said.
Then on Tuesday, Locher was blessed too. Her customer, David, had heard about her financial issues and came back with a huge gift: a $4,000 tip on a $6 check.
"It shocked me, like am I dreaming? And I was like, it's not a dream. I'm looking at the money in my hand, like what do I say, what do I do? But just be thankful it happened," Locher said.
Locher plans to use the money to pay her bills, including the mortgage on her two-bedroom townhome and a Christmas gift for her boyfriend "Everything gets paid," she said.
It's been a revelation for both women. A lesson in the power of human kindness.
"I want to do what he does," said Locher, referring to her benefactor. "I want to help others like he helped me."
"It's a blessing, these people, to God," said Salinas. "Give them more and more so they can keep blessing people."
And isn't that what the season is really about?