- RECENTLY I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM A SINGLE MOM OF TWO
IN VALPARAISO, INDIANA.
SHE'S GOING THROUGH A VERY HARD TIME,
AND THIS IS THE LETTER I GOT.
"DEAR ELLEN, I LOVE YOU AND YOUR SHOW.
"YOU ARE SUCH A WONDERFUL PERSON.
"I'M A SINGLE MOM WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN.
"I'M GOING THROUGH A DIVORCE,
"AND THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST TRYING TIME OF MY LIFE.
"MY KIDS AND I ARE LIVING WITH MY PARENTS RIGHT NOW
"BUT THERE WERE TIMES WHEN WE WERE HOMELESS.
"I'M WORKING SO HARD TO BETTER OUR LIVES,
"WORKING TWO JOBS AND SEARCHING FOR A CAREER
"TO BETTER OUR SITUATION.
"MY CHILDREN ARE EVERYTHING TO ME.
I WILL WORK FIVE JOBS IF I HAVE TO
"TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY DESERVE.
"I LOOK AT MYSELF SOMETIMES AND WONDER HOW I WOUND UP HERE,
"BUT NOTHING MOTIVATES ME MORE THAN MY KIDS.
"I WOULD BE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR ANY HELP.
SINCERELY, MICHELLE RAMIREZ."
AND SO THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO,
IS TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE--
STILL HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE,
STILL STRUGGLING, AND YET THEY HAVE KIDS TO TAKE CARE OF,
SO THEY HAVE TO STAY POSITIVE.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE HER A CALL.
SHE HAS NO IDEA THAT JEANNIE IS THERE.
[crowd cheers]
[ringing]
- HELLO?
- HELLO, IS THIS MICHELLE?
- YES, IT IS.
- MICHELLE, MY NAME'S JENNIFER.
I WORK WITH A SNOW REMOVAL COMPANY CALLED THE WOW PLOW.
LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE A TOUGH, TOUGH WINTER.
I'D LIKE TO HELP YOU PLOW YOUR DRIVEWAY.
- UH, SURE.
- OKAY. GOT SOME GREAT SPECIALS.
AND I CAN THROW IN A COUPON OR TWO.
OR A COUPON.
I DON'T WORK FOR THE WOW PLOW. THIS IS ACTUALLY--
IT'S ELLEN DEGENERES. HI, MICHELLE.
GO TO YOUR FRONT DOOR.
- [screams]
[crowd cheers]
OH, MY GOD!
[screaming]
- COME ON!
LOOK AT ELLEN!
- SHE'S BAREF--
- OH, MY GOD!
- MICHELLE...
- I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY.
- YOU'RE BAREFOOT. YOU'RE GONNA BE FREEZING.
AND THEN YOUR CHILD'S INSIDE GOING, "WHY IS MOMMY SCREAMING?"
- OH, MY GOD, NO.
- OKAY. - I'M OKAY.
- LISTEN... - HI!
- HI, MICHELLE.
- OH, MY GOD, I CANNOT EVEN BELIEVE THIS.
- I KNOW, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? - OH, MY GOD, I JUST LOVE YOU!
OKAY, I'M LISTENING. - ALL RIGHT.
- SORRY. - SO, I GOT YOUR LETTER,
AND FIRST OF ALL, IT SEEMS LIKE
THINGS ARE A LITTLE DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW YOU'RE WITH YOUR PARENTS.
YOU'RE STAYING WITH YOUR PARENTS.
AND I'M CALLING TO ASK YOU, WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO PUSH ON?
- THESE TWO LITTLE ONES RIGHT HERE.
THEY ARE JUST THE LOVE OF MY LIFE.
- AND YOU'RE WORKING A COUPLE OF JOBS
TO TRY TO EARN ENOUGH MONEY TO SUPPORT YOUR KIDS.
- YEAH. - YOUR CAR--AND YOU'RE--
- FOR THEIR BIRTHDAYS AND CHRISTMAS AND EVERYTHING.
- YEAH, WELL, WITH CHRISTMAS COMING UP, TOO.
AND THEN YOUR CAR BROKE DOWN. WHERE'S YOUR CAR RIGHT NOW?
- IT'S STILL IN THE SHOP.
- WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CAR?
- THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT.
IT WAS A GIFT FROM MY AUNT TO KIND OF HELP ME KIND OF
GET BACK ON MY FEET AGAIN AND TO GET ME TO AND FROM WORK.
- RIGHT. - AND SO SHE HAD GIVEN IT TO ME,
AND IT WAS KIND OF ON ITS LAST LEG,
BUT I WAS LIKE, "HEY, IT'S WHEELS.
I DON'T CARE." - YEAH.
- AND SO, YEAH, IT'S STILL IN THE SHOP.
[laughs] - WELL, YOU DON'T NEED--
- I'M TRYING TO GET IT OUT.
- NO, YOU DON'T NEED TO GET IT OUT.
YOU DESERVE A BREAK. YOUR KIDS DESERVE A BREAK.
SO FORD WANTS TO HELP YOU.
THEY'RE INSPIRED BY YOUR FIGHTING SPIRIT.
THEY WANT TO HELP YOU GET BACK ON YOUR FEET
WITH THIS 2015 FORD ESCAPE.
- OH, MY GOD. OH, MY GOD!
[screaming] - LET'S GO! LET'S GO!
- OH, MY GOD!
[jubilant screaming]
- THE FORD ESCAPE IS THE PERFECT COMBINATION
OF STYLE AND TECHNOLOGY, SO YOU CAN GO FURTHER.
I'M SO GLAD THAT FORD WAS ABLE TO STEP UP AND HELP YOU.
AND I KNOW YOU SOLD SOME OF YOUR CLOTHES,
AND YOU'RE CLEANING HOUSES SO YOU CAN AFFORD GIFTS
FOR YOUR SON'S SIXTH BIRTHDAY.
NOW YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT CHRISTMAS.
AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO WORRY ABOUT CHRISTMAS.
CHRISTMAS IS GONNA COME EARLY FOR YOU AND YOUR KIDS TODAY.
YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE.
JEANNIE HAS TWO STOCKINGS.
ONE OF 'EM HAS SOMETHING NAUGHTY.
ONE OF 'EM HAS SOMETHING NICE.
AND NAUGHTY'S NOT ALWAYS BAD.
SOMETIMES NAUGHTY CAN BE OKAY. BUT NICE IS ALWAYS GOOD.
BUT YOU CAN CHOOSE EITHER ONE OR TWO.
WHICH ONE--CHOOSE ONE OR TWO.
- ONE OR TWO? - YOU GUYS PICK.
- WHICH ONE DO YOU GUYS WANT? ONE OR TWO?
WHICH ONE?
- HURRY UP.
- ONE. - OKAY.
- NUMBER ONE? OKAY. - REACH IN THERE, JEANNIE.
SEE WHAT'S IN THE STOCKING.
- OOH.
WHOO! - YEAH!
- OH, MY CD--MY HOLIDAY CD. YOU'RE A WINNER.
"THE ONLY HOLIDAY ALBUM YOU'LL EVER NEED VOLUME ONE."
LOOK AT THE KIDS.
LOOK AT THE JOY ON THE KIDS' FACES.
- OH, NO. - AH, THERE MUST BE
ONE MORE THING IN THE STOCKING, THOUGH, RIGHT, JEANNIE?
- OH, YEP, YEP. YOU PUT SOMETHING ELSE IN HERE.
- BECAUSE SHUTTERFLY WANTS TO GIVE YOU $10,000.
- OH, MY GOD!
[crowd cheers]
- SO YOU CAN SHARE LIVE STORIES WITH YOUR CHILDREN.
- OH, MY GOD.
- YOU GO AND ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY WITH YOUR KIDS.
YOU DESERVE IT, MICHELLE.