Donnie Wahlberg gives a jaw-dropping gratuity to a single mom at IHOP and instructs her to “open it when we leave.”

With the way the world is now, it’s no wonder that many individuals are obliged to labor their fingers to the bone simply to make ends meet.

You’ve probably heard a lot about those who try to take advantage of the system; the small number of people who appear to float by without working, somehow manage to keep afloat on the compassion of others.

For every ‘freeloader,’ there are hundreds of honest, down-to-earth people working hard to make ends meet. Some of these folks may be struggling financially, but they continue to come up day after day, working as many hours as they can in order to make ends meet.

Bethany Provencher is one such person, according to sources. She was a diligent single mom with an 11-year-old boy who relocated to St. Charles, Illinois a few years ago for a fresh start after 18 years in Miami.

Bethany signed a lease for a new apartment in The Magic City and was able to land a job at a nearby IHOP owing to her 25 years of customer service experience.

Even still, she knew things were going to be tight for a while because she hadn’t been able to adequately decorate her new flat due to a lack of finances.

Then, at the end of the year, a celebrity couple walked into the IHOP where Bethany worked and sat in her part of the restaurant.

Bethany immediately recognized the man as singer-songwriter Donnie Wahlberg, who was joined by his wife, Jenny McCarthy.

According to sources, Bethany couldn’t contain her joy. Donnie’s band, New Kids on the Block, was one of the waitress’s favorites, and she had always had a soft spot for Donnie personally.

As a result, Bethany was overjoyed to be working for him. What she didn’t realize was how profound an influence that day would have on her life.

When Donnie and his family finished their meal, the singer paid their $35.27 bill and placed a message on the receipt for Bethany to read. “Thanks, Bethany, Happy New Year,” it said, next to a hand-drawn smiling face. Tip Challenge 2020.”

Donnie allegedly instructed Bethany not to open the receipt until he and his wife had exited the IHOP. Bethany did what she was directed, but when she unfolded the check, she was astounded to learn that Donnie had left her and her coworkers a $2,020 tip!

More about Donnie’s generosity may be found in the video below:

Wow! What a lovely gift, and I’m sure it meant a lot to Bethany following her big journey to Illinois!

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