It’s not every day that a 20-year-old boy takes notice of a mother’s struggles.
But then again, not every young man is Nicholas Tate.
The Newcastle, Oklahoma, resident has worked at his local Walmart for nearly two years. He’s met a lot of people and seen a lot of things in his time with the company, but this particular Friday night is one he’ll never forget.
Just before the end of his shift, Nick noticed the line at his counter starting to grow with customers. He patiently served each guest despite his workday coming to an end.
One of those guests was a mother of three, who had her children in tow as she shopped and checked out.
Sensing she was overwhelmed by her two young daughters and the baby, Nick engaged in conversation with the woman asking, “Is it one of those days?”
She explained to him that she’s fostering a baby and having to use WIC—part of a federal program that provides assistance to low-income and foster families with children–for the first time. Having just set up WIC earlier that day, the woman had never used it before.
“She had a good amount of items,” Nick said, “and most of them went through. But she apparently didn’t have the right formula,” making it difficult for other purchases to be processed. “We had to run a separate transaction for the rest.”
As Nick helped the woman through her purchases, his line continued to grow with impatient customers and dirty looks.
“[There were] more customers, more grumbling and dirty looks as they moved to the other lane and I’m frustrated and trying not to cry,” the customer, who wishes to remain anonymous, wrote in a Facebook post. “At this point, a lady we know came up and asked why I was causing so many problems. I told her I was just failing as a foster mom because I can’t figure out WIC and almost burst into tears right there.”
As Nick called the manager over for assistance, he says he was ready and willing to take care of the mother himself.
“I already had my card out at that point. I felt like God was telling me to pay for it,” he explained. “The second it didn’t work I swiped my card.”
The woman looked at him in shock and asked him what he was doing as he paid for $60 worth of her groceries. It’s a day’s wages for the Walmart employee.
Nick says it was worth every penny.
“I swiped it and instantly she just started bawling her eyes out,” said the generous cashier.
The woman says she doesn’t remember much of what he said to her after that, but knows that he told her she wasn’t failing and what she was doing—caring for foster children—was an amazing thing.
As for Nick, he says his random act of kindness doesn’t make him special. He was simply doing what he felt was right.
“When we feel like God is telling us to do something—how many times do we say no? In that moment, without a doubt, he was telling me to pay, telling me these people are in need, to help them,” Nick said.
After leaving the store, the customer realized she had no idea what Nick’s name was, and regretted not being able to thank him personally. So she used the modern-day art of connectivity that is Facebook, and hoped her sharing the experience would lead her back to the compassionate cashier at her local Walmart.
Hundreds of people shared her post and eventually the foster mom and Nick were reunited.
“I have been able to get into contact with this young man…and thank him again as well as his mom and tell her how incredibly blessed we were by her son and thank her for raising such an exceptional young man,” she wrote. “Additionally multiple managers from Wal-Mart have contacted me regarding this issue to figure out who it was, wanting to help make it right and help however they can. As well as someone from WIC.”
Though he never thought his generosity was a big deal—let alone big enough to go viral—Nick says he’s glad it did because “it confirmed that I’m doing what God wants me to do.”
