Dunkin' customer surprises beloved employee, kids with new, fully furnished home after eviction

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Monday, December 6, 2021
Dunkin' customer surprises beloved employee with new home
A Dunkin' employee in Ohio received the surprise of a lifetime from one loyal customer: a fully furnished home.

MOUNT HEALTHY, Ohio -- A Dunkin' employee in Ohio received the surprise of a lifetime from one loyal customer: a fully furnished home.

Suzanne Burke, a loyal customer at her Cincinnati-area Dunkin', sparked a friendship with employee Ebony Johnson three years ago at the restaurant's drive-thru.

When Burke noticed that her favorite employee hadn't shown up for work in weeks, she began to worry and learned that Johnson and her children were evicted from their home.

"When she experienced this hardship, I wanted to see if I could help her improve her life and the life for her kids and make sure that they had a stable house so that she could continue to provide excellent service she does at Dunkin'," Burke said.

Burke found organizations to help the family find a home and partnered with a staging designer, who decorated the space for the holidays.

Johnson cried and smiled when she walked into her new, fully furnished place, hugging Burke and others who made this possible.

"Oh my God, we're so happy ... I'm so thankful to be back in a home," she said.

And her kids are just as excited.

"Hey, this is our beautiful living room," Johnson's daughter told news cameras, twirling next to her brand-new couch.

Now Johnson says she and her children can have a merry Christmas and enjoy the rest of the holiday season.

"The Lord really looked out for me because I kept praying and saying, 'Could I be at home before Christmas?'" Johnson said.