LEWISTON, Maine — When you like a co-worker, you want to keep them around. That how many staff at Central Maine Medical Center felt about Corie Hubbard, a technician who joined the team this past January.
Hubbard was considered a pleasure to work with by many and he himself was happy to be there too. He enjoyed going to work everyday. Yet, that didn't mean it was always easy for him to get there.
After he'd gotten accustomed to his new job, Hubbard's car started having problems. He poured tons of money into repairs, but nothing was able to save it. After it broke down completely, Hubbard was left without a way of getting to work.
Thankfully, he was able to rely on his coworkers for rides. But, as time passed, he became restless.
"I got to the point where I didn't want to be a bother. I'm like, okay, should I give up this job?"
Hubbard said he was at the end of his rope. Little did he know, his coworkers weren't finished helping him.
"He had quite an impression on me early on," Tina Moring, a nurse anesthetist at CMMC who had grown attached to Hubbard, said.
"I was heartbroken because I knew his commitment, not only to his job, but his family, was huge," Moring said.
She had the sudden idea to pool together with their coworkers to buy Hubbard a car. Before she could even think about whether it was possible, the money started pouring in.
"Folks would sometimes sweep by my desk and drop money on it. Sometimes I was getting a check. Other times, I would open my Venmo account and there would be like $2-3,000 sitting in it for the day."
Within 10 days, staff at CMMC raised $11,000 and soon after surprised Hubbard with a car, plus registration and six months of insurance.
"Once I found out, I cried like a baby," Hubbard said.
"Corie deserves way more than just a vehicle, but if that was the one thing that could just set him on that path, then it was worth it," Moring said.
The gesture set Hubbard on the right path, not just at work, but in his personal life as well, as a husband and father.
"If we want to go to the store, we want to take our son to the park, we can just put him in the car seat and just go," Hubbard said.
That newfound freedom also comes with a newfound hope for Hubbard.
"You're at the end of your rope, then all of a sudden you start to see a glimpse of light. So, yeah I'm excited. I am forever grateful," he said.