Baristas share why they prayed with woman in viral photo

A picture of several baristas praying with a woman who just lost her husband went viral, but a few of the young men in the photo said they were just doing what they always do when they meet someone in pain. 

The touching picture, uploaded to Facebook by Barbara Danner, was taken on Monday at the Dutch Bros coffee stand on 138th Avenue in Vancouver. 

Two of the baristas, Pierce Dunn and Evan Freeman, said when they got hired at Dutch Bros they learned how to make coffee and smoothies, but they also learned how to connect with customers. They were at work when one of their female co-workers spotted a woman in the drive-thru line in tears. 

"Her husband passed and as soon as she said that, I'm like, 'there's nothing more you need to say, we got this,'" said Freeman. "We're going to do what we do every time there's someone in pain or hurt. We're going to give them our love."

The guys offered her a free drink and then it just kind of happened. They all grabbed her hand, bowed their heads and together, they said a prayer. They had no idea, but a customer in the next car back snapped the now-viral image. She posted it on Facebook and along with thousands of likes, it even surprised owner Jessica Chudek. 

"I thought that's great a company does that and we can show love out the window that way and then I started studying it a little more and I said 'Wait, that's Evan and Pierce! That's my stand, those are my kids!'" Chudek said. "So it just brought me to tears right then." 

Dunn and Freeman said the woman was so grateful to them for taking her hand and taking the time. They had no intention of the moment going viral, but said maybe it will inspire someone else. 

"If every single person did an act of kindness or just had a smile on their face, the world would be a completely different place," Dunn said. 

"The two baristas said that the woman who was crying has been there before. They recognized her and they hope that she knows she is welcome back any time for some coffee and hugs, if she needs them.