Strangers pitch in to buy car for man who walked 6 miles for work


To get to his job at Taco Casa in Rockwall, Texas, Justin Korva, 20, had to walk three miles, whatever the weather, then do it all over again when it was time to go home.
Earlier this month, on a sweltering 95 degree day, a stranger stopped and offered him a ride. Korva told Andy Mitchell about his commute and how he hoped to one day save enough to buy a car, and Mitchell was impressed by Korva's dedication to his job. "I could tell he is honest and hard-working," Mitchell told Today. Mitchell posted about this chance encounter on Facebook, and that's when strangers jumped in to help.
Mitchell had wanted to buy Korva a bicycle, but as more and more people pitched in, Mitchell found himself only 30 hours later with enough donations to not only buy a car, but also pay for a year of insurance and oil changes, plus a $500 gas card. Two days later, Mitchell, his wife Mandi, and other supporters surprised Korva at Taco Casa with a 2004 Toyota Camry. A stunned Korva hugged his new friends and checked out his car, asking repeatedly, "Are you serious?" They responded in the affirmative, telling Korva, "All yours, paid for, done. All you've got to do is drive." Catherine Garcia
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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