Share
Lifestyle & Human Interest

Mom in Tears After Card Declined at Store and Cashier at Next Register Pays Bill for Her

Share

When you’re a kid, it’s hard to understand how money works. You don’t understand the pressure to stay debt-free, you don’t have a great idea of what things cost, and you don’t always understand why you can’t have the same kinds of things your friend or neighbor does.

When you get a little older and start doing odd jobs or pick up a first job as a teenager, you begin to understand why parents are often stressed out about money: There never seems to be quite enough of it.

Erica Corey was shopping one day when she had to explain to her kids that they needed to put everything back. That’s not an easy thing for a parent to do, and it certainly can’t feel good, but when you don’t have enough money what else can you do?

Fortunately for her, someone in register next to them overheard her and came over to see what he could do. The resulting interaction made it into a Facebook post.

“This evening my children and I went to Southcreek Foodlion for some groceries,” Corey wrote on Facebook on Jan. 16. “When my card wouldn’t work I told the kids we would need to put some things back that’s when Jacob a young man working the register next to us Came over and insisted on paying for our groceries it was such an incredibly generous action.”

Trending:
Prince Harry Named in Major Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Against Rapper


“Of course I began to cry because its been tough and he truly moved me. He gave me a hug an paid without batting an eyelash. I am forever grateful for his kindness please the Next time you visit Foodlion if you see Jacob congratulate him on being such an awesome human being!”

Jacob was only 16, but he clearly knew the value of money — and the value of using it to do good. The bill wasn’t huge, but his generosity was still very much appreciated.



“Everybody deserves to eat and feed their family,” he said, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “To me it wasn’t the right thing to do. I felt like it was something I was obligated to do.”

“I was just blown away because there are definitely great people out there,” the grateful mother said. “But for him to do it – there was no hesitation for him. It is a younger kid. For me it was amazing that such a young person would do this without any reservation or hesitation.”

Corey also saw a connection between that instance of kindness and a request she and her family make daily.



“Each morning, we say a prayer and one of the things we say is we ask God to help us be a better person and bear his love,” she said. “I said to the kids, ‘That is the perfect example of what it means to share God’s love or just share love in general and care about other people.'”

Related:
Air Force Officer Makes History at 2024 Miss America Pageant: 'The Sky Is Not the Limit'

“As far as the attention, I definitely am flattered,” Boykin said. “I never was expecting this. However, I do believe people are treating this as if it was some extravagant thing I had done when in reality I think it is something that people should do every day. I think it should be an everyday occurrence.”

“With all of the negativity and hatred in this world,” he added, “why not do the best we can to shine a little light on the darkness of this world?”

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , , , , , ,
Share

Conversation