Restaurant Dishwasher Has Car Stolen, Coworkers Buy Him A New One

December 2, 2018

A restaurant dishwasher had saved up for months to buy a car for his family, only to have it stolen.

When his coworkers found out, they pitched in and bought him a new one.

Kea Senegal with Chris Muffoletto

Kea Senegal works at Ruffino's on the River in Lafayette, Louisiana. Last week, his car was stolen and the news did not sit well with his coworkers.

He had saved up for months to buy a car for his family," Ruffino's general manager Chris Muffoletto said. "He has a wife and two children – a 4-year-old and a 4-month-old – and when we found out what happened, we didn't feel like we could let it go."

Muffoletto held a team meeting and asked staff if they would be willing to pitch in to help get Senegal a replacement vehicle.

"Everyone was 100 percent onboard," Muffoletto said. "It took three days to raise $2,500. Then, the people at Don's Wholesale found out what we were doing and matched the funds. Their generosity was instrumental in this – they should get as much credit as anyone."

A week after his car was stolen, Muffoletto and the Ruffino's staff surprised Senegal with a 2015 Chevy Malibu – and his reaction was priceless.