In a touching and heartwarming moment, healthcare workers and first responders working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic were surprised with free groceries!
Southeastern Grocers, which owns stores like Winn-Dixie and BI-LO, decided to dedicate a shopping hour for healthcare professionals and first responders. While they were checking out, the cashiers surprised these people with free groceries.
“Your groceries are on Winn-Dixie,” says a cashier to a nurse as she is checking out. “Thanks for everything you do.”
“Are you serious?” she replies. “I’m serious,” he says. “Oh, God bless you!” The nurse is overwhelmed and grateful for the kind act.
This exchange happened over and over again as many people were shocked to hear that their groceries were being paid for by the store.
One woman shared with the camera her story working with coronavirus patients during this time. “I’m an occupational therapy assistant, and this week I started working with the people who are COVID positive coming off of their ventilators,” she said. “They’re really weak and they need a lot of therapy. And so my kids don’t live with me right now because I don’t want them to get sick, so I’m home alone and just working to provide therapy for people who are too weak to also be at home.”
The act of kindness that inspired Southeastern Grocers to pay for these people’s groceries was thanks to the filmmaker and actor Tyler Perry. Recently, he surprised customers who were shopping at Winn-Dixie during the senior and high-risk shopping hour by paying for their groceries.
Tyler Perry paid it forward, and then Southeastern Grocers paid it forward. Let us all keep this mindset and look for ways that we can continue to pay it forward in our communities. Kindness is contagious, and there is nothing more wonderful than to spread it around.