Let me first say that although I love feel-good stories, I seldom write them. That being said, in today's world of mostly contentious news, and worse, I think I'm going to start writing a few of them, here and there — beginning with the following truly heartwarming tale.
Ed Bambas, an 88-year-old Army veteran who still puts in five eight-hour days a week — working at a Meijer grocery store, no less — never received the pension he earned after a lifetime of work. After losing his wife seven years ago, Ed quietly continues showing up for work, day after day, week after week, year after year. To put it starkly, Ed has been forced to do so — just to survive.
That said, Ed's life is about to change — dramatically so.
Michael Bambas, Ed's son, told the New York Post on Wednesday that his hard-working dad will finally get to retire and enjoy life after his emotional story inspired nearly $1.5 million in donations (which stands at $1,582,894 from more than 54,000 donations, as of this article):
It’s just amazing. Both of us are pretty much amazed at how this affected people around the world. Somehow I guess this hits a nerve with people, they can connect emotionally that makes them want to reach out and help. It’s amazing how things like this brings out the best in people.
I know what this is going to mean to him and that it’s going to change his life immensely. rking dad. He’s finally going to enjoy life and not have to worry about, you know, where the next dollar is gonna have to come from.
The staggering sum will be presented to Mr. Bambas on Friday in a surprise ceremony at the Michigan supermarket where he still works full-time:
Here's more:
Ed captured hearts worldwide after Australian influencer Samuel Wiedenhofer met him at a Meijer grocery store in Brighton, where the senior has been forced to work full-time as a cashier to make ends meet after losing his pension and his wife, whose medical expenses left him financially strained.
Wiedenhofer shared the story on social media and launched a GoFundMe Monday to help him retire that has raised over $1.443 million as of Wednesday night.
[Ed] told Wiedenhofer ... he retired from General Motors in 1999 — only for the company to go bankrupt in 2012 and wipe out his pension, according to the moving video that was posted to Instagram Monday.
Grab the tissues — here's Ed, holding back tears:
The thing that hurt me the most was when my wife was really sick and when they took the pension, they also took the health care coverage and all but $10,000 of my life insurance.
“I’m fortunate God gave me a good enough body to be strong enough to stand here for eight, eight and a half hours a day,” Ed told WXYZ after the video blew up the internet.
HEARTWARMING SUPPORT: More than $1 million has been raised for 88-year-old veteran Ed Bambas, who goes viral after sharing that he is still working full-time at a Michigan supermarket following the loss of his pension.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 3, 2025
Organizers say they are setting up a secure trust to ensure… pic.twitter.com/N6CN6IgdnI
Michael Bambas said of his dad, on Wednesday:
He hasn’t fully grasped what’s going on. He has no idea how much money is in the account. He has no clue what’s there. It’s going to be total shock to him.
I "might" have gotten a tear or two in my own eyes after seeing Ed so emotional. Just sayin'.
ALSO CHECK OUT: White House Announces Incredible News for Veterans and Their Families
Watch: New Marines Share Extraordinary Moment With the Commander-in-Chief on Veterans Day
As I wrote this article, I couldn't help but contrast the story of Ed Bambas with that of untold millions of illegal aliens in this country, eagerly imported by former President Joe Biden, not to mention the sickening efforts of the Democrat Party to continue handing over billions and billions of taxpayer dollars to people who shouldn't even be in this country.
Disgusting? Hell yeah, it is.
A Final Note:
Earlier in the article, I wrote a line that included "[Ed] will finally get to retire and enjoy life after his heartbreaking story inspired nearly $1.5 million in donations." I almost wrote "... enjoy a life of dignity..." But here's the thing: Ed Bambas has demonstrated dignity from the outset.
On this day, when much of the new is contentious and often ominous, God bless Ed Bambas, along with countless other men and women like him who have faced, or continue to face, similar circumstances. And God bless the decent people who have contributed to Ed's cause, along with the causes of others like him.
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