Here’s a little something Jwala posted on Reddit recently in response to the overwhelming support from the Reddit community. We wanted to share it with you all to show you how much of an impact your views and generous Fundly donations will have:

“Avi is my dad – and he really is one of the best, most genuine people I know. He doesn’t use the Internet (really, he doesn’t even know how to turn on a computer), but if he knew about this thread, I know that he would be so moved – both by your kind words, and the outpouring of generosity everyone here has shown. I can’t believe that, in two days of being published to Reddit, the Fundly has already far surpassed its goal.

My dad has an endless amount of love to share with the world, but the idea of people returning that love, on such a grand, tangible scale, would be unfathomable to him. And how could it not be? This sort of thing doesn’t happen very often.

My father works seven days a week from 7AM to 7PM. He’s nearly 65, but his determination to get through these hard times, and his love for the customers he serves, is what gets him through every day. It’s hard on all of us – I miss having breakfast with my father, waking up to see him on Christmas morning, even sitting and having a beer on a Saturday afternoon. It’s these little things that add up, and after ten years, they’re not so little anymore.

More than anything else, my father deserves to rest, to be given the opportunity to relax, to go a week without worrying about finances or how the next bill is going to be paid. He deserves to be able to spend his senior years stress-free, and the love you’ve all shown is going a long way in helping him achieve that goal.

My father isn’t alone in his plight, though – this is a situation happening all over the country, in every suburb and city, in the bodega down your street corner. Small businesses don’t thrive in a struggling economy, and though it may be easy or convenient to go to the CVS or Walgreens down the street, it’s far more meaningful and appreciated to frequent that mom-and-pop shop you pass by on your way to work.

If nothing else, support small businesses, because they deserve our love.”

– Jwala