A teenage cashier’s simple act of kindness has gone a long way.
The story of a teenager from Texas went viral after he forked out $110 (about Dh404) to pay for groceries of a distressed f.
At the cash counter of Walmart in Princeton, a city in Texas, John Lopez Jr, 19, checked out a female customer’s groceries, but realized she could not afford her bill.
His act of kindness was shared all over social media by one Lacy Simms, a witness of the event.
Posting a photo of teenage cashier on her Facebook account, Simms said John decided to foot the woman’s bill when the unnamed woman was unable to pay for her grocery cart.
“I just witnessed this ‘kid’ pay for a cart of merchandise for a woman in obvious distress about her inability to pay,” Simms wrote. “She was a few people ahead of us and when she had trouble paying her bill he stepped in and told her if she’d wait he would pay her total.”
Simms posted: “Y’all, it was $110 dollars!” she said in seeming disbelief. She then called on her readers to drop by John’s checkout line at Walmart, saying, “Please seek him out on your next visit. He is always singing, upbeat, courteous, joyful and efficient.”
Moved by the young man’s gesture, Simms said it renewed her faith in humanity and the younger generation.
“I don’t know John’s story, but I don’t think he is even 20 years old. He just renewed my faith in humanity and the generation we are raising!”
John Lopez Jr., who is actually only 19, has since come forward after the post turned viral. The teenage cashier said he took a job at Walmart in March to save enough for college.
“She started crying and I was like ‘okay I got you, I got you,'” John said of the woman. “I just felt in my heart that the Lord told me I had to help her.”
The woman shopper in the story was not immediately identified.
He added: “My parents basically taught me if someone needs help you should be able to help them and if someone is down, bring them up.”
Inspired by John’s act of kindness, the Princeton community has banded together to raise money in the hopes of paying for his college tuition.
A Go Fund Me page called “Merry Christmas for John” was set up by the community on December 18.
As of December 29, it has already raised $34,000 of its $50,000 goal.
Commenting on the page, Kevin Myers said: “Selfless act of kindness. You are an inspiration.”
To which Petra Anderson from Austria, who gave $9 towards the fund, added: “This young lad is a great inspiration. Thank you for proving that if you do good something good, the good — or even better — comes back to you. All the best for John & his family from austria, petra”
Lynda Hacking, who gave $20 towards the fund, added: “Because we should treasure every person that thinks of others before themselves.”
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