ALPENA, MI - A server in Alpena, Michigan was pleasantly surprised when she became the subject of a couple's '2020 Tip Challenge.' 

Danielle Franzoni works at a restaurant along the coast of Lake Huron and, according to CNN, she hadn't had an easy year.

As a recovering addict who'd spent some time living in a homeless shelter, Franzoni moved to Alpena for a new start.

She would have never guessed that, as 2019 came to a close, two of her customers would help her get a fresh start by leaving her a tip for $2,020.00

The couple dined for a total of $23, and left Franzoni the festive tip with a note on their bill that said, "Happy New Year, 2020 Tip Challenge." 

Franzoni was shocked. Thinking the couple's kind gesture was too good to be true, she took it to her boss and asked if the tip was legit. 

"Things like this, don't happen to people like me," she told reporters.

Thanks to her customer's generosity, Franzoni has renewed hope. She told CNN, "I'm going to build a future because of this. My kids have a future, and I have a home. It's a really big deal." 

And Franzoni doesn't want the spirit of generosity to stop with her, she's been paying it forward. 

She told reporters she later tipped a server $20.20. 

"That was my 'pay-it-forward,'" she said. "I couldn't do the other one."