What started with one Michigan veteran at a supermarket checkout has turned into a national fundraiser.
Samuel Weidenhofer, a self-described “kindness influencer” with an audience of more than 15 million on Instagram and TikTok, is now helping lead a campaign to support 50 veterans in 50 states after a fundraiser for 88-year-old veteran Ed Bambas raised more than $1.9 million in a matter of days.
Weidenhofer first shared Bambas’s story in December, highlighting the veteran’s life of service and the fact he was still working as a cashier at Meijer. Bambas had retired from General Motors in 1999, but returned to work nearly a decade ago after his wife died. Around the same time, he told ABC affiliate WXYZ, his employer cut his pension.
“Despite everything, Ed shows up every day with quiet dignity, strength, and perseverance,” Weidenhofer wrote on a GoFundMe campaign for Bambas. “His story is a reminder that too many of our seniors, especially veterans, face incredible challenges just to survive.”
More than 66,000 people donated to Bambas’s fundraiser.
“When Sam first came into my life, I thought he was just being kind to one old man working at a grocery store. I had no idea it would turn into something that would touch so many people,” Bambas told Good Good Good.
“The fundraiser changed my life, but what stayed with me even more was realizing how many strangers were willing to stop, listen to my story, and help. That’s when I started thinking this couldn’t just end with me.”
That campaign became the starting point for For Your Service, a fundraiser launched by Weidenhofer and Bambas on May 1. The campaign has raised more than $1 million from 28,000 individual donors, and they hope to reach $10 million in total donations.
“When I first met Ed, the goal was just to help one person who deserved to feel supported. I don’t think any of us could have imagined that one video and one fundraiser would turn into this kind of movement,” Weidenhofer told Good Good Good.
“What means the most to me is that Ed didn’t just receive that generosity and move on; he wanted to pay it forward. That says everything about who he is. It’s a reminder that one act of compassion can create a chain reaction, and when people are given a real story and a direct way to help, they show up.”
Bambas is also contributing $1,000 of his own money to each fundraiser.
@itssozer 50 days. 50 states. 50 veterans. 🇺🇸❤️ I went back to see Ed… the 88-year-old veteran you all helped retire. We sat there talking about how much his life has changed… and one thing kept coming up. He wasn’t the only one. There are thousands of veterans out there still struggling every single day. So this time, we’re not stopping at one. For 50 days, we’re travelling America to meet 50 veterans, hear their stories, and stand beside them. Our goal is to raise $10,000,000 to support veterans across the country. And Ed didn’t just want to sit back… he’s giving $1,000 to every veteran we meet. I won’t be able to reach every state on my own, so some of my friends will be stepping in along the way to help us find and support those who need it most. This is bigger than me. This is all of us. This is what social media should be about. Let’s change lives… together ❤️
♬ original sound – Samuel Weidenhofer
“For me … it’s personal. It’s my way of saying to those veterans: I see you, I appreciate what you’ve done, and I want to help pass along the kindness that was shown to me,” Bambas said. “I know what it feels like to work hard, to struggle quietly, and to not want to ask anybody for help. A lot of veterans are like that.”
Weidenhofer said the campaign reflects a range of experiences because “there isn’t one single veteran experience.”
He pointed to Randy, an Army veteran living with Alzheimer’s whose family has fallen behind on their mortgage because of medical expenses and now faces the risk of losing their home. So far, donors have given more than $16,000 of the $20,000 goal.
He also highlighted Ronnie, a veteran who has been homeless for years, sleeping in motels and struggling to get to doctor’s appointments. Ronnie regained access to his home earlier this year, but it has been severely damaged and is not safe for him to live in. Nearly $84,000 of his $90,000 goal has been met.
“These are real people with real families, real needs, and a lifetime of service behind them. Some of the stories that have really stood out are veterans facing the possibility of losing their homes, veterans battling cancer, older veterans still working into their 80s because they don’t have another choice, and families trying to manage medical bills, caregiving, or financial hardship,” Weidenhofer said.
“The tangible difference is immediate. This support can help someone stay in their home, pay for care, cover daily expenses, or simply feel less alone and more supported during an incredibly difficult time.”
Bambas said his own fundraiser gave him financial stability, but the emotional impact stayed with him too.
“Emotionally, it was something I still have trouble putting into words. I felt seen. I felt like people cared. When that many people, people who had never met me, decided my life mattered, it really touched me,” Bambas said.
“I’ll always be grateful for the money because it gave me stability. But the bigger thing was the feeling that I wasn’t alone. That’s why I want to help other veterans feel that same support.”
Weidenhofer said, “A lot of these veterans have spent years quietly pushing through hardship. When thousands of people stop, read their story, donate, comment, or share, it tells them: we see you, we appreciate you, and your service still matters.”
Read more from GoodGoodGood.
