Strangers Raise Enough Money For Grieving 89-Year-Old So He Can Stop Selling Popsicles

September 13, 2016

89-year-old Fidencio Sanchez has been selling popsicles in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood for as long as anyone can remember.

Joel Cervantes Macias was so moved by the hard-working Sanchez that he pulled over and took this photo. He bought 20 popsicles for $50 and drove away.

internet raises money for old man selling popsicles
GoFundMe

"As I was driving down 26th st in the Little Village area in Chicago where I was born and raised, I saw this elderly man struggling to push is paleta cart (Popsicle cart)," Macias said. "It broke my heart seeing this man that should be enjoying retirement still working at this age. I had to pull over and took this picture. I then bought 20 paletas and gave him a $50 and said may God bless him and drove away. I posted this picture on Fb and since then, I've gotten a huge response."

The response inspired him to start a GoFundMe page for Sanchez seeking $3,000.

Within hours, support from all over the world started to pour in. Three days later, donations have exceeded $260,000.

internet raises money for old man selling popsicles

Mr. Sanchez and his wife recently lost their only daughter and are still heartbroken about the situation. Children are not supposed to die before their parents, Sanchez said.

"When she died I felt so much pain," Sanchez told CNN, fighting back tears. "I thought, 'What am I going to do now?'"

Gilberto Bahena, Sanchez's pastor at his local church, calls the outpouring of financial support a miracle.

"It's for sure an answer to their prayers," Bahena said. "This man has really been faithful to the Lord. This man has a good heart."