At just 8 years old, Kayzen Hunter already knows what so many adults often forget: kindness is powerful.

Every weekend, Kayzen has a ritual with his family or his grandfather—they head to the Waffle House in Little Rock, Arkansas, a place filled with sizzling plates, the smell of coffee, and the warmth of small-town familiarity. But for Kayzen, the food wasn’t the highlight. It was the waiter who always greeted him with a smile: Devonte Gardner.

A Waiter Who Became a Friend

Devonte, a young father of two daughters, had quickly become Kayzen’s favorite part of breakfast. Always cheerful, always kind, he made customers feel welcome—not just by serving food, but by serving joy. The Hunters liked him so much that whenever they came in, they asked to sit in his section.

But behind that positivity, Devonte was struggling. He and his family were living in a motel, unable to afford an apartment. He had no car, which meant he had to walk to work every day—through heat, through rain, no matter what.

When Kayzen found out, his heart ached. At 8 years old, he didn’t just want to help. He decided he had to.

A Small Goal, A Big Surprise

With his mother’s help, Kayzen started a GoFundMe page. His goal was modest—just $5,000. Enough, he thought, to help Devonte buy a car and make life a little easier.

But something extraordinary happened.

The story of an 8-year-old wanting to help his favorite waiter touched people far beyond Little Rock. Donations poured in—$20, $50, $100 at a time—from strangers moved by the innocence of a child’s compassion.

By the time the campaign ended, the total wasn’t $5,000. It was over $115,000.

A New Beginning for Devonte’s Family

With the money raised, Devonte was finally able to move his family out of the motel and into a proper apartment. The relief was overwhelming—after years of struggle, his daughters finally had a stable home.

But Devonte’s dreams went beyond just survival. “I’m gonna save the rest,” he said. “Because I want to put my daughters in a good school. I want them to be in a good environment.”

The money wasn’t just a lifeline. It was a foundation—a chance for Devonte to give his children the future he had always wanted for them.

A Ripple of Kindness

What began as one boy’s small wish for his friend had grown into a wave of generosity, proving just how contagious kindness can be. Kayzen never set out to raise $115,000. He simply wanted to help. But in that simplicity lay something powerful—something that reminded the world that empathy doesn’t depend on age, wealth, or status.

Sometimes, it just takes a child with a big heart to show us how much good is possible.

The Lesson We Carry

Today, Devonte continues to work, smile, and greet his customers at Waffle House—but now, his steps are lighter, his heart less burdened. And every time he tucks his daughters into bed, he knows it’s because an 8-year-old boy believed in him.

And Kayzen? He’s proof that no act of kindness is too small to change the world.