'Tears of Joy': Woman Drops Envelope Full of Cash at Park, Good Samaritan Finds and Returns It
When most people come across an abandoned wallet, they’ll at least open it up to see if it contains any money, any important cards or any identifying information.
Most upstanding citizens put themselves in the shoes of the person who lost the wallet and will make some sort of effort to return it.
Bills, by themselves, are more tempting to pocket.
It was Friday when a good Samaritan was walking through a public park and spotted an envelope. The front of it read “Grocery Cash” and in the top left corner was written, “For: Randi.”
Kim DeRosa of Westfield, New Jersey, had come across an envelope filled with cash, and she quickly turned to Facebook to try to find the owner.
Not wanting to give out too many details, DeRosa sketched a quick informational outline of the situation in the post and sat back to see if anyone would fill in the blanks and claim the cash. (DeRosa’s Facebook post is no longer available to view, as it has been removed or the privacy settings changed.)
“I just found an envelope with cash in it at Tamaques Park,” she wrote on the Westfield Facebook group, according to TAPinto Westfield.
“If you lost your envelope PM me! It’s safe at my house.”
Many people replied, some with suggestions or advice; others playfully “claim[ed]” the money was theirs and that it was a great sum of money. Some just thanked DeRosa for her honesty.
“Love seeing these posts in our community,” one person wrote. “Good, honest people.”
“Posts like this restore my faith in humanity!!!” another wrote. “Hope you find the person who lost it!!!”
DeRosa said the money totaled less than $100, and the alert went out.
Randi Axelrad, a retired high school counselor, saw the news story and reached out to the publication to be put in touch with DeRosa. She was able to confirm the details and get the cash back, which had been $70 she’d been given for groceries she’d picked up for someone.
“She kindly put my envelope in another one with my name on it,” Axelrad told TAPinto Westfield.
“I opened her envelope and then mine. I offered her a monetary reward of appreciation for finding and reporting my lost money, but she refused to accept it. I was and still am filled with tears of joy for her good deed.
“Again, I thank you and Kim for solving my mystery. I still believe that there is good in the world. This was proof!”
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