Customers find home for deaf Chester's Hamburgers worker living in his car
SAN ANTONIO — Chester's Hamburgers on the Northwest Side has been serving up comfort food since opening back in 1984.
But it's the comfortable work environment that makes life easier for Rory Harriel, a man who's been deaf his entire life.
The company uses sign language interpreters at work meetings and holiday events to make Harriel, an employee of 15 years, feel more at home.
The 49-year-old has been working at Chester's Hamburgers for nearly 15 years. But recently, he's fallen on tough times. When his shift would end, Harriel had no place to call home.
“It was very cold,” Harriel described to Fox San Antonio’s Ryan Wolf with the help of an interpreter from Deaf Interpreter Services. “We were limited on food. My girlfriend would get some things while I was at work and then we would have no place to go. So we would park the car and make the best of it."
A beat-up, white Chevy Cruz was where he lived inside for more than a month. That is until a chance encounter with customers outside the restaurant on February, 1st. Aida Scalercio and Debbie Guerrero had just finished having milkshakes when they approached Harriel outside.
“Aida saw a man having difficulty starting his car, so we tried to jumpstart it with my vehicle, but I have a small vehicle, so it didn't work,” she explained. “So then immediately she went home and brought her husband. They live close by."
Harriel said he wasn’t used to such kindness from strangers.
“She ended up bringing her husband back to get the car started,” he signed. “And he tried to get the car started but it still wasn't running after that. And, then I ended up following them and he asked me, ‘where are you living right now?’ And, I said to be honest, we don't have a home right now."
Vincent Scalercio works at USAA. His wife Aida is a home-school teacher. They paid for Harriel and his girlfriend Evangelina, who's also deaf, to live in a hotel. Then they turned to churches, scoured social services and public assistance available, to get them food, clothes and mostly recently into an apartment. Guerrero wanted to surprise her friends on CASH FOR KINDNESS.
“You're always so gracious and giving,” she said to the couple who was sitting across from her at a table at Chester’s Hamburgers. “You truly walk the Christian life. And, I just wanted people in San Antonio to know that."
Vincent had no idea Guerrero nominated his family for the award.
“We believe kindness is contagious,” he said. “We do something kind for others, hoping they're going to pass that on."
Harriel didn’t know the people who helped him were nominated either.
"I'm just in shock,” he signed. “I’m so impressed and lucky to have them in my life right now."
Wolf described what their award is all about.
“We reward selfless acts of kindness,” he said. “On behalf of Miracle Body & Paint, and Fox San Antonio, this my friends is for you."
He handed Vincent a stack of $100 bills. Vincent counted the money.
“$500, $600, $700, $800, $900, $1,000,” he said with a big smile. “Wow! What we are going to do is help this wonderful family get a car."
Harriel couldn’t believe the words that came out of Vincent’s mouth.
“I really don’t have words right now,” he signed.
Now, it's not just his work, but friends-turned-family, who make Harriel feel like he belongs.
“I'm just so, so surprised," he signed.
Click here to donate money to help Rory get a new car on his gofundme page setup by the Scalercio Family.
Click here to nominate somebody you know for the $1,000 CASH FOR KINDNESS award