Almost $30,000 raised for young DoorDash worker living in a caravan park

A fortuitous food delivery has sparked a wave of community support for a young DoorDash worker living with his family in a caravan park.

DoorDash delivery worker Zakia “Zak” Lovell and his family are now just $4,000 short of a $30,000 fundraising goal after his story spread rapidly on social media.

The GoFundMe campaign began after Zak delivered a meal to local woman Zoe Rose on his first night working for DoorDash.

Riding a borrowed pushbike in heavy rain, Zak completed multiple deliveries despite the storm.

Impressed by his effort, Rose tracked Zak down on Facebook to give him a tip and learned more about his living situation.

Rose discovered Zak was using a borrowed bike after his own was damaged on New Year’s Eve when someone kicked in the derailleur.

She also learned Zak, his mother and sister have spent the past year living in an ageing camper trailer that struggles in extreme heat and regularly collapses during heavy rain.

The family is often woken overnight and forced to reassemble the trailer during storms.

“The more I learnt about Zak’s story and the challenges he has faced, the more impressed I became with his determination, and I had to find a way to help,” Rose said.

Rose contacted caravan park resident Jade Davies, a family friend, who organised the GoFundMe campaign to help Zak buy a new bike.

Support quickly grew online, and after the initial $3,000 target was exceeded, the fundraiser expanded to help the family upgrade to a pop-top camper trailer.

“This will help his family to finally get off the ground,” Davies said.

Approaching his 19th birthday, Zak said the response had been overwhelming.

“I am very shocked,” he said.

“At first I didn’t believe this was real, because nothing has ever really happened like this for our family.”

“I am so thankful to the local community for supporting me.”

Zak said he plans to use a new e-bike for his DoorDash deliveries, allowing him to earn a stable income.

“We went out for dinner to celebrate the night the fundraiser took off,” Davies said.

“His family have had such a hard life, so this is just so exciting for them.”

Zak said he was grateful for the support of Davies and the friendship of her son Jett, who initially lent him a replacement bike so he could begin delivery work.

Zak hopes to become a mechanic and plans to complete a Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology to qualify for an apprenticeship.

Alongside his delivery work, he also assists another caravan park resident with serious health issues by helping with maintenance tasks and grocery shopping.

The fundraiser remains open.