Customers at the Tappahannock Burger King had become accustomed to seeing Bateman working the drive-thru window with a perpetual smile on her face. «You walk through the drive-thru at any given moment, and she’s just as kind,» Cunningham said.

WTVR reports that Bateman has been a fast-food employee since 1987 and appreciates her job. However, for the past seven years, she had to go a mile to work. Bateman lost her car after being fired from a second job, but she never lost her positive attitude.

I see her going around a lot, so I thought it would be nice to do something like this for someone in our community, said Cunningham.

The community set up a GoFundMe page for Bateman and donated slightly more than $4,200. According to WTVR, 135 people donated in less than two weeks. The proceeds were used to purchase a new automobile for Bateman, and the community made a point of giving her any extra change to help cover the cost of the vehicle’s insurance.

They presented Bateman with a low-mileage maroon 2007 Buick after her shift one day in October 2021.

As she gave Bateman the keys to her new car, Vazquez said, “We as a town of Tappahannock wanted to present you a little bit of thanks for your hard work, for always bringing us positive energy.”

Immediately, Bateman was overcome with grief and sobbed, “Oh my God! Thank you a lot! It was a touching exchange between the employee and her devoted clients. In less than two weeks, a small community was able to raise all of this money, according to Vazquez. “It just proves she is valued,”

Watch her reaction in the video below: