Grocery Store Worker Steps Up To Help Pay For Struggling Grandmother's $137 Bill

Aug 01, 2022 by apost team

An unassuming H-E-B grocery store in Annabelle, Texas, was the unlikely source of kindness for a family in need in April 2022. One evening when a grandmother entered the check-out line with her grandchildren, she found to her surprise, that there were limited funds on her government assistance card. Panicked, the woman quickly decided to remove the majority of the food, leaving only the few items which the family absolutely needed for dinner that night.

Seeing this, the aisle's bag attendant decided to intervene. Despite being only a student herself, the girl offered to pay for the grocery bill, which totaled over $100. At first, the grandmother resisted, knowing the total bill was no small sacrifice. However, the H-E-B employee, Maria Balboa, simply felt compelled to help. 

The following Friday, during Balboa's next shift, she found herself being called into her manager's office. There, Balboa was shown a survey that had been sent to the store. It had been written by the grandmother and detailed their interaction.

It began, "Today I went to HEB with my 2 grand boys." The grandmother continued, explaining the family's situation, saying, "It has been rough for us. Money is beyond tight. Having to pay child care, TMPM, and other expenses." She then relayed the exchange at the register. "My food stamp card stated it only had $19 meaning I was short $119," she said. "The young girl bagging our food offered to pay after I told the cashier I was only going to take the chicken and bread and butter we were going to have for dinner tonight. The young lady offered to pay for our food."

The grandmother continued. "I had to hold my tears back." 

Balboa, recalling the moment in a later Facebook post, said she simply heard a voice in her head telling her, "pay for the groceries, Maria!!!" And Balboa acted on that impulse, given she "knew (she) would get (the money) back on payday, and maybe (this family) wouldn't."

On this gesture, the grandmother wrote, "Today she made me cry but happy tears. Thank you from the heart for your kindness." She continued, "I wish I could have gotten her name. I would like to thank you personal again." Hence, perhaps the survey. The grandmother then explained how the act had stuck with her. "I can't stop thinking of how kind of her to have done this for us. I have helped many people and today someone so young helped me," she said. "The feeling of how you're going to make it the following day is rough and today that feeling was lifted. Thank you."

Seeing the note, Balboa's manager told her, "We can't teach someone to have heart." He later told reporters, “It really talks a lot about her, and reaching out, and taking care of someone in need,” he said. “It’s pretty special when you consider someone who is in school and just trying to make ends meet, we were very proud of her."

Reflecting perhaps on what others might do to better the world, Balboa simply said, "Be kind, because you never know what someone else is going through, and you could be the difference in their life that." In her actions that shift, Balboa proved that you can still rely on the kindness of strangers. 

apost.com

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