FALLS CHURCH, Va. — When Miriam Balacios took a job at the IHOP in Falls Church, Virginia, she never expected the future impact her customers would have on her life.
Balacios, who works at the restaurant six days a week, serves a group of about a dozen neighbors who dine together every Wednesday. She knows each of their orders and names by heart.
“I think we feel [Miriam’s] part of the group,” Erless Waldschmidt, one of the Wednesday morning regulars, said.
But never was that more apparent than last December when a fire burned nearly everything in Belacios’ apartment. It happened at 2 a.m. while she was working the overnight shift. Several members of Belacios’ family were inside the apartment at the time, but were able to escape without any major injuries.
When Belacios returned to work, she was greeted by the generosity of her customers.
“I love them,” Belacios said. “They collected money... clothes, sweaters, shoes, everything.”
But Belacios said the greatest gift came in their words. Fighting back tears, Belacios recalled how her regulars reaffirmed that she was strong and would be okay after the fire. Thanks to their help, Belacios was back on her feet within a few months.
Asked why they did so much for their waitress, Waldschmidt has a simple statement.
“Why not," the customer said. "We feel she is part of the group.”
This story was sent to WUSA9 by viewer Lee Martinez as part of Sean Martinelli’s “The Heart of It” series. If you have an inspiring story you’d like to share with Sean, you can email him at TheHeartOfIt@wusa9.com