Content creator Jesus Morales has gone viral on TikTok and unlike most 24-year-olds who post on the platform, it’s not for some cool dance moves or his lip-syncing abilities. Morales wants to make a difference in the world in his small but significant way.
What he does is quite simple. He gives away money to street vendors in California. Morales, who goes by the name @Juixxe on TikTok, records himself gifting $1,000 to random street vendors, mostly in Los Angeles. The money comes from his more than one million TikTok followers who donate to the cause.
So far, Morales has given away $90,000 in cash to vendors who are part of the Latino immigrant community. To keep the vendors’ identities safe, Morales never shows their faces on camera.
In an interview, Morales said the inspiration came when he remembered how much his parents, who are Mexican immigrants, struggled with money.
“My dad worked multiple jobs and my mom was a server and she would tell me that sometimes people would tip her pennies,” Morales said.
In one video, Morales asks a street vendor if his customers ever tip him. The vendor replies that sometimes he will get a couple of dollars from people who buy his merchandise. “Whatever they can give me is good,” the vendor says. “I don’t complain.”
Then Morales surprises him with the money. “Well, I wanted to give you a gift my friend,” he says. “I want to give you a gift of $1,000.”
In another video, Morales sees a mother and her son selling corn from a cart and tells them that he wants to buy all their products. “I’ll pay for everything but I’m not taking anything,” he says. He then hands over $1,000 to the woman.
“You gave this to me and I’m going to cover a very important cause in my life,” the woman says.
Morales’ good deeds, he says, are fulfilling. “I do not know [the vendors] nor do I know what they are going through,” he says. “I would not say that I come at a perfect time, but it is a visit with a purpose.”