A Lakeland, Florida IHOP employee, Victoria Hughes, saw how a homeless man entered her IHOP and asked for a meal back in November. He was hungry, and Victoria was generous, offering him some pancakes. Hughes, however, did not expect what happened next, as her manager reprimanded her. Days later, she was let go.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Hughes spoke with WFLA, telling how her ridiculous firing took place. "He stated to me and the host that he was hungry," Victoria Hughes told the outlet about the homeless man. "Without a second thought, I bought the stack of pancakes and made him a water."
Hughes would then inform her manager, thinking that her actions were to be received with open arms. They were not. The manager became upset and reprimanded her. "He told me the reason behind him being upset because it could cause a loitering issue, was that things like that are a safety issue for customers," Hughes said.
The homeless man was fed on Sunday. By Tuesday, Hughes' manager called her and delivered the bad news. "He talked to me yesterday and told me that I was fired," Hughes said, "I asked him for what? And he said, company policy."
And while Hughes really needed her job, as we all do, she regrets nothing and would do it again. "I truly would," Hughes said. "I would still help somebody if I could. If he asked me for my shirt, I probably would have tried to give him that too."
A Happy Ending After All
After Hughes contacted WFLA, she received a call from IHOP's corporate office. She received a job offer, compensation for the days since she was let go, and, on top, IHOP committed to making a "healthy donation" to a charity of Hughes' choice.
Furthermore, Dan Enea, the CEO of Sunshine Restaurant Partners, IHOP, issued a statement.
"We are committed to providing an inclusive environment, welcome to everyone," the statement reads. "As we actively investigate this situation, we will utilize this as an opportunity to train our employees on how to approach instances surrounding food insecurity."
"To continue our commitment to supporting those in need in our local community, we are making a donation to Feeding America as well as local Lakeland charities that support food insecurity."
Before her job offering, Hughes set up a GoFundMe campaign to help her through the holiday season. No updates have been issued that confirm whether Hughes accepted the job offer or not, but she was considering it at the time, choosing to spend some time with her family first.
