Daughter Asks People To Be Nice To Her 68-Year-Old DoorDasher Father Who's 'Just Trying To Get By'
The senior citizen is doing the best he can to make some money while facing health problems.
paulaphoto | Shutterstock One woman proudly introduced her 68-year-old father to the world and explained that he was forced to become a DoorDash driver to make the extra money he needed to survive. Her only request was that people not give him a hard time for doing what was necessary to get by.
Times are tough for almost everyone right now. The economy is in a rough spot, and the cost of living just continues to rise. This financial strain knows no generational bounds. It is indiscriminate and affects everyone, including struggling seniors who should be able to enjoy retirement.
A daughter asked people to be nice to her dad, who is almost 70 and working as a DoorDasher.
A woman named Shannon Minard shared a video of her dad going about his work routine on TikTok. The video started with him at a restaurant, where he was at the front counter asking to pick up a DoorDash order. Then, it shifted to footage of him leaving food outside a customer’s door, taking a picture of the order so he could log it.
“And if my 68-year-old dad is your DoorDasher, just be kind,” she said in the video. “He’s the best person I’ve ever known, and he’s just trying to get by.”
In the caption of her post, Shannon offered some more background information on her dad that made his story even more touching. “He lost his son to a drunk driver,” she explained. “His wife left him for drugs and spent every bit of his money … He had a heart attack in 2020 and barely made it. Now he’s just trying to enjoy the time he has left.”
The sweet story of this DoorDash driver father really struck a chord with others.
People who commented on Shannon’s video were clearly touched by her dad and his attempt to stay afloat after all he had been through. “We need better retirement in America,” one person insisted.
It would seem that this sentiment is all too true. Many people shared stories of not being able to retire or watching loved ones struggle to do so. One said, “My dad is almost 70 and still has to work three jobs to get by. Our elder community deserves better.” Another shared, “I am 74 and have completed over 9,000 DoorDash deliveries.”
Another commenter requested that Minard create a GoFundMe for her dad so people could put money towards his retirement if they felt inclined to do so. She did, and shared the link in her TikTok bio. In the fundraiser information, she revealed that her dad has been living with her since his heart attack. “He DoorDashes on his good days and is hoping to fix up his camper (he truthfully needs a brand new one) so he can live on the camper pad on our property and have more independence while he still can,” she said. She asked for $4,500 so he could purchase a new camper.
Elderly Americans face a toxic combination of financial struggles and ageism.
According to Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein, a survey conducted by AARP found that 25% of Americans over 50 said they thought they would most likely never retire. The biggest reason for this was rising prices, with 70% saying prices are increasing more rapidly than their paychecks can keep pace with.
Andrea Piacquadio | Pexels
Another problem facing older Americans is ageism in the workplace. A separate AARP survey found that about 66% of people over 50 thought older workers were discriminated against at work, per USA Today contributor Daniel de Visé. This means that older people who are still trying to work will likely have a hard time doing so and have to turn to other opportunities like DoorDashing instead of relying on a traditional job.
The odds are really stacked against elderly people in the U.S. That can’t be easy to handle when you’re aging and dealing with the health challenges that come with that. People like Minard's dad really do deserve better, and it’s time we made that change for them.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
