Young Cashier Charges Distraught Woman $110 For Groceries — He Goes On To Pay, Says He's Got Bill Covered

Sep 06, 2021 by apost team

Do you want your faith in humanity to be restored? If so, check out this heartwarming story of generosity that took place between two strangers. In December 2018 at a Walmart in Princeton, TX, a customer found that their $110 grocery bill was more than they could afford.

That’s when the cashier, then 19-year-old John Lopez Jr., decided he would step in to help — by paying her entire grocery bill.

Lopez, the teenage cashier who was assisting her, was able to help her without so much as a second thought. 

According to KTVT, while the customer was stressing out about not being able to pay for her groceries, he told her that he would be able to cover it.

“She started crying and I was like ‘okay I got you – I got you’,” Lopez told KTVT. “I just felt in my heart that the lord told me I had to help her.”

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His gesture didn't go unnoticed. Laci Smith, another customer, took a (now deleted) photo of Lopez in his moment of selflessness and shared the story on Facebook. As word spread of his generosity, a GoFundMe page was created for his college fund.

As the story went viral, the crowdfunding page did too, and the community ended up raising a whopping $37,000 towards the teen’s education. 

His employers noticed Lopez’s generous gesture as well, and they hosted a special event in his name to honor him. 

“I saw what John did and how selfless of an act it was and it was just something that really touched me,” Brandon Weddle, who organized the event, told KTVT.

Princeton Mayor John-Mark Caldwell was also present at the event, and he awarded Lopez with a certificate for his generosity. 

But what's even more heartwarming than the award Lopez received is the response he received on GoFundMe. Strangers from all over the world donated money and left messages thanking Lopez for his kindness and inspiring attitude.

Leigh Anne Peterson, who donated $10 to the fundraiser, wrote that Lopez's actions have shown that his generation isn't just full of entitled youngsters.

"Heard about your wonderful act of kindness on the Smalley Institute's Daily Facebook Live Podcast," Peterson wrote. "And was SO moved that such a young man would have such compassion on a complete stranger! I don't believe that your generation gets enough 'props' sometimes, because so many of the older generations think young people are just self-absorbed. Thank you for allowing God to work IN & THROUGH you! You ARE changing the world!"

Other notable messages include one from a 10th-grade student from Vancouver, Canada.

"I read an article about you paying for that women's groceries and I thought that was really brave of you," she wrote. "In the article, it said that you were only 19 when you did that because it must have been a hard situation to be in and you didn't have to help her but you did. I'm touched that someone would do that for someone they don't know. I hope that I will be more aware and more willing to help those around me now, I also hope that your life is going well, and I really hope that that woman has a better financial situation now."

Regardless of who it is or where they are from, it seems Lopez's story has struck a chord with people from all around the world. While not all of the donations are public, some GoFundMe members contributed up to $5,000. Weddle, who organized the GoFundMe for Lopez, donated $400 himself, according to the website's records. And with over 1,000 total individual donations, 1,000 followers, and 3,000 shares, Weddle raised tens of thousands of dollars for Lopez.

In his original message to potential donors, Weddle wrote:

"This year I'd like to keep the Christmas spirit alive by giving back to this young man. I recently saw a post where this cashier at Walmart paid for a [lady's] groceries who was obviously in need. The bill was not a small one. No questions asked. He gave selflessly. It was made public. The comments that I've seen about this gentleman is extraordinary. He touches a lot of lives on a daily basis. I'd like to give back to him for constantly giving himself to our community. Any little bit would be much appreciated. He is also trying to save money to put himself into college. Let's come together as a community and pay Johns's tuition. He will do big things! Merry Christmas and God Bless!"

According to Weddle's GoFundMe updates, Lopez has since received the money. On Dec. 21, 2018, he attached a photo of the GoFundMe transfer and wrote, "Just wanted to thank each and every one of you for the continued support. We met John at Walmart earlier today and celebrated with him. He has been set up as the sole beneficiary on the account, so you all will be happy to know that the money is headed his way to make his Christmas the best ever! God bless!"

Unfortunately, Weddle did not provide any further updates on Lopez aside from a Dec. 22, 2018 post that read, "Y'all are amazing!!!! Thank you all so much!! Merry Christmas!!"

We can only imagine that Lopez is studying hard at university, knowing that thanks to his thoughtful and selfless act, he'll have nearly $40,000 to pay down those hefty tuition bills. This is especially significant when you consider that the average hourly pay at a Walmart in Texas is just over $10, which is hardly enough to pay for the rising cost of living and education in the U.S. Lopez might not have been able to go to college if it weren't for Weddle's fundraiser — or, if he went anyway, he might have to take out thousands of dollars in student loans.

 So if there's one lesson that we should learn from this story, it's that what goes around, comes around. If you put good out into the world as Lopez did, then you will likely find yourself surrounded by people who respect and care for you.

Have you ever witnessed such a selfless act of generosity? Let us know in the comments – and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!