An IHOP server fed a man facing homelessness. She says she was fired for it.
A Florida IHOP employee who was fired after serving a homeless man said she was offered her job back, according to local media.
Victoria Hughes has worked at an IHOP restaurant in Lakeland, Fla. since 2013, according to a fundraiser circulating online and the television station WFLA.
On Nov. 24, a homeless man visited the restaurant and said he was hungry, Hughes told WFLA. She gave the man a stack of pancakes and got him some water.
She told her manager but he didn’t have the reaction she expected, she told the television station.
“He told me the reason behind him being upset [was] because it could cause a loitering issue…or a safety issue for customers,” Hughes told WFLA.
The man came back later with a family who brought him a meal, the television station reported. Just two days later, Hughes said her manager called her and told her he was letting her go.
“I asked him ‘for what?’ she told WFLA. “He said ‘company policy.’”
Franchisee investigated situation, added employee training after incident
When asked about her firing, IHOP sent Paste BN a statement from Dan Enea of Sunshine Restaurant Partners, an IHOP franchisee. Enea said in the statement that the company is “dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment that welcomes everyone.”
According to Enea, the company investigated the situation and has implemented training for employees on addressing food insecurity.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to support those in need within our local community, we will continue to address food insecurity through our partnership with Feeding America and by making a donation to local Lakeland charities that also support this important cause,” Enea wrote.
Florida woman offered her job back, thinking on it
Hughes told WFLA that after she spoke to the news outlet, someone from IHOP’s corporate office reached out to her and offered to reinstate her and compensate her for missed work days.
Hughes did not reply to Paste BN’s requests for comment, but told WFLA she has to think about whether or not she’ll take the job back. She said she’d feed the man again despite her losing her job over it initially.
“I need my job, but I would still do it again,” she told WFLA. “I truly would. 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 GoFundMe that appears to have been created by Hughes has been circulating online. As of Tuesday afternoon, she has surpassed her $1,000 goal and raised just over $1,700.
“I was also publicly humiliated for feeding a homeless man,” she wrote in the fundraiser’s description. “I would just like a little bit of help to get me through the holiday season. I am greatly appreciative of any donations that are made to get me through this time.”
Saleen Martin is a reporter on Paste BN's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.