Most of us expect to retire by the age of 65 if not soon after, however for many living near or below the poverty line, retirement isn’t really an option and they must work well into their golden years. This was the case for Fidencio Sanchez who never expected that he’d be able to retire with the help of strangers from around the world.

For 23 years, Findencio Sanchez has been selling popsicles in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. In rain, blistering heat and more, this 89-year-old pushes his cart, hoping to make enough to support himself and his wife. On a good day, he would make $40-$50. That is, until another Chicago native happened to drive by.

Joel Cervantes Macias was so moved by Sanchez that he bought 20 popsicles, gave Sanchez $50, and posted a photo on Facebook. His friend Joe Loera saw the post and the two started a GoFundMe page to help Sanchez and his wife. Starting off with a modest goal of $3,000, the campaign caught worldwide attention for its moving cause and the pair was astounded when their page reached $384,290 by 17,447 people in 11 days.