VETERAN UNABLE TO PAY FOR HIS GROCERIES TURNS AROUND TO HEAR CUSTOMER SAY “IT’S OUR TURN”
The veteran was in the store helping others even when he couldn’t afford to treat himself. It takes an act of bravery to join our military and make untold sacrifices for our country. To that end, we should all be thanking our veterans who’ve laid so much on the line for our wellbeing. Unfortunately, though, there are still many veterans who come back home only to have to “go without”. Thankfully, there’s something we can do.
This veteran’s story is truly touching. When a news crew heard about his plight, they knew they could and should help him. It was a sunny day in Las Vegas, and the Fox 5 Surprise Squad headed to the local Albertsons. They wanted to do something special for the residents, so they selected random customers and paid for their groceries. Dave Hall headed the team. He approached several people who were just about to check out. When he asked if he could pay for their groceries, it made their day every time.
Over and over they kindly stepped in and paid for strangers’ shopping orders. The employees watched as the crew assisted several random customers, and they clued them in on the regulars who needed the help the most. One cashier was almost in tears. She was so happy and thankful to see these acts of kindness brightening each person’s face.
Finally, Dave introduced himself to a lady named Stephanie. She was a disabled veteran. She relied on her wheelchair to get around. Stephanie explained that she was buying food for herself and her dogs. Without much financial assistance, she was really struggling. She admitted to Dave that she was down to her last $50. She didn’t know what she would do after that.
The news anchor was excited to be able to help. He paid for the entire cost of the groceries, and Stephanie couldn’t have been more grateful. Dave noticed the man behind her.
“Is this your husband?” he asked. Actually, the man was a friend of her husband. This man, named Larry, was another veteran who had been in the same club as Stephanie’s husband. The club, Bones For Blankets, focused on donating blankets to homeless veterans. Larry had started the organization 16 years previously after he tragically lost three of his brothers. They had all frozen to death. The experience locked into Larry’s mind just how important sharing resources is.
Larry explained that Stephanie’s husband was a truck driver and that his job caused him to be away a lot. Larry drove the woman everywhere she needed to go. Sympathetic to her struggle, he wanted to do whatever he could to make her life easier. “No vet should be going through what she’s going through,” he said. Larry drove Stephanie to the grocery store, even though he himself couldn’t afford to buy groceries. As he stood in the check-out line, he only held a bottle of dish soap and a piece of candy. It was all he could afford.
Dave refused to let the kind vet leave the store without any real groceries. “You served us,” he told the veteran. “It’s our turn to serve you now.” Larry’s eyes were watery. As he walked with Dave back into the aisles, he shared his story. They filled the cart to the brim with food and toiletries. It was much more than the man had expected when he got out of bed that morning.
The veteran admitted that he was overwhelmed with the kindness he was being shown. He had taken care of himself since he was a teenager, and now a stranger showed up out of the blue just to buy him food. Larry offered to repay Dave. The reporter replied that Larry had already done his part. “We try to do good things for good people, Larry, so you deserve this,” Dave told him.
When they finished checking out, Larry mentioned that he had never spent that much on groceries before. You could tell by the look on his face just how much this moment meant to him. Larry thanked Dave wholeheartedly. Then he was on his way. He left the grocery store, but the value of the moment is something that will never fade.
Larry has grown accustomed to showing up for others, whether as a soldier in the army or as a Good Samaritan providing resources to those in need. That’s what makes seeing Larry get treated to some of the kindness he’s served so extra special. The heartwarming shopping trip garnered over a million views on FOX 5 Las Vegas’s YouTube channel and continues to remind us how much it pays to be kind. Hear Larry share his story as he’s treated to some much-deserved gratitude in the video below!
