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A Dorm Security Guard Hasn't Seen His Family In 11 Years, The Students Fixed That

March 12, 2024

Today's good news story comes from Providence, Rhode Island.

In a heartwarming display of compassion and unity, students at Providence College came together to surprise their overnight security guard, James, with the funds to make a long-overdue trip home to Nigeria.

James, who has been diligently safeguarding the Raymond Hall dormitory, had not seen his family in over a decade.

Leah Quinn / Providence College

The strong sense of community within Raymond Hall became the driving force behind this touching gesture. The students, who consider their dormitory a family, felt a deep connection with James and wanted to ensure he could reunite with his loved ones.

Freshman Brandon Reichert expressed the sentiment, saying, "Once we learned that James had not seen his family in over a decade, that is what kickstarted this for us. We take care of our own, and we firmly believe James is one of our own."

To make James's dream a reality, the students launched a GoFundMe campaign with a modest goal of $3,500. Little did they anticipate the overwhelming response from the community and beyond. Within a short period, the campaign surpassed all expectations, raising an incredible $26,000.

Reichert, who initiated the campaign, shared heartfelt words about James on the GoFundMe page: "For those of you that don't know James, he truly is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He greets everybody with a smile and always welcomes conversations no matter what time of the night you run into him. He has expressed how much he enjoys his job here at PC, and we would love to be able to allow him to visit his family. He does not know how much we appreciate him, and we hope that this shows to him how much he means to our community."

Last weekend, the students surprised James with the incredible news that he would be heading home to Nigeria in June. The joyous occasion was captured on video, where Daniel Singh, a resident assistant in Raymond Hall, conveyed the sentiment of the community, stating, "We take care of our own. That's what we do at PC. As long as I've been here, they've done that for me, we've done that for each other, so now we're doing it for you."

Watch the surprise below.

@lkquinnco 🛑please stop and take the time to watch and share this amazing display of unrelenting kindness and humanity at its best.🛑 now time for MY BRAGGING- My best friend Jess Reichert son Brandon is the most incredibly kind, thoughtful and generous soul. (Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree) I am once again blown away by Brandon’s God Given gift of always doing the right thing and recognizing what is truly important in this world- LOVE and KINDNESS. Brandon started a Gofundme for his overnight security guard James at his dorm building at Providence College. James has been wanting to visit his family in Nigeria for a long time, and Brandon along with all of the amazing students on his floor at PC began to raise money for James to get him home. Today they presented him with the trip. This act of kindness shows us all, that we are more alike than not. Brandon’s ability to always do the right thing and lead, show compassion and gratitude has been a highlight of my life watching him grow up into the amazing young man he is. On that note, I want to give Jess Reichert all the respect in the world for raising this boy as a SINGLE MOTHER and shaping him to be everything he is. For the countless sacrifices she has and continues to make and the obstacles she endures to make sure he has every opportunity to continue on his path we all could learn from as parents. This is also your payoff Jessie, everything that boy is, is ALL because of you! I al so proud to be your friend! I love you both so much!!! Let’s keep this going with a share! @wcvb5 @wpri12 @therhodeshow @abc6providence @channelkindness @thekindnessrocksproject #belikeBrandon #providenceCollege #gofundme #goviral #pcfriars #kindnessmatters ♬ original sound - Leah Quinn