Waffles Change A Life!

Timothy Harrison, 18, opted to work his usual 7:00am - 3:00pm shift as a server at the Center Point, Alabama Waffle House, skipping his Woodlawn High School graduation ceremony in early June 2021 that was to begin at 3:00 p.m.

He’d had no contact with his father, and his mom couldn’t get the day off from her job at a day care center. He had no ride for the ceremonies at the graduation venue in nearby Birmingham, no tickets, no suitable clothing, and no-one to offer him any other kind of help.

No-one, that is, except his Waffle House store manager, Cedric Hampton, and other employees, all of whom immediately went to bat for Timothy that morning with only hours to spare. They, plus a few customers, all chipped in for a new outfit from a nearby Target, and one employee drove to Timothy’s high school to pick up his green and gold cap and gown.  

Said the store manager, ‘For me, it was a no-brainer.  High school graduation is one of those things you get to do once in your life, and when you’ve worked all these years for a diploma, it’s necessary to be there.’ The manager added that ‘We are one big family at my Waffle House – we totally support our people.’

Timothy getting ready.

Waffle House store manager, Cedric Hampton, assisting Timothy with his tie as he prepares to head to his graduation.

Cynthia Anthony, president of Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, took note of news reports – offering Timothy a full scholarship and books and telling the local media ‘We just wanted to see how Lawson State could help him to further his education and meet his career goals.’

Timothy was elated by the offer, calling it a blessing. For the Waffle House manager, it was ‘the crowning moment, because here’s a kid who wasn’t even thinking about college, and now, there are doors opening up that he never even thought about.’

Timothy plans to study business and computer science when he begins his fall 2021 classes. The college president told Timothy that it takes a village and that Lawson State is now his village. That village actually extends beyond Lawson State.  It also includes the Center Point Waffle House.

Please click here for a video from KULR-8 Television.

We thank Sydney Page, writer for the Washington Post, for an original story about Timothy Harrison and the kindness of his Waffle House store manager, other store employees, and the several concerned customers.