Foster mom-of-3 couldn't afford baby formula at Walmart— a kind cashier immediately intervened

Kindness does not come easy in this world. People are too busy to show care or consideration towards others. Therefore, individuals who stand apart from the crowd by doing something selflessly for others should be celebrated. It is what a foster mother did for Nick Tate when he helped her through a very stressful situation. She was getting bombarded with angry looks and remarks from all sides when he paid for her shopping like a knight in shining armor, as per KFOR. The consideration that so many adults failed to show a mom managing two kids was shown by a 20-year-old gentleman. The whole incident took place in 2017. 

The whole incident took place at the Walmart in Newcastle, Oklahoma. Tate worked as a cashier and loved his job mainly because of the people he met. The man made sure to interact with anyone who appeared in front of his kiosk. “I'm a big people person. So, I just love getting to talk to people and hear about their day and just see how they're doing,” Tate said. Walmart rarely goes empty, so he mostly has a crowd, but he always had a welcoming smile, ready to serve everyone. 

Despite meeting hundreds of people every day, some just get stuck in his mind. One of them was a foster mother he met on a Friday. "She was coming through and she had two little girls and a baby. The two little girls were just going crazy," Tate said. "So, I looked at her and said, 'One of those days?'" It was evident that she was getting overwhelmed managing everything at once. The woman was using a WIC for the first time, making her billing difficult. 

According to the California Department of Public Health, WIC is a scheme from the federal government formulated to give aid to low-income families with children. However, not all the brands are covered by this scheme. The mother had brought many things that were not getting approved by the WIC, which created chaos. People behind her began making a fuss as she was taking time to sort things out. This, along with the antics of her foster kids, was creating an all-around mess. "We tried to run it again and the WIC still didn't work. So, I just felt like God was telling me just to pay for it," Tate said. Therefore, he stepped forward and paid $60 for the groceries and formula. It was equivalent to his day's pay, but he knew in his heart that helping the woman in front of her was the right thing to do. For his kind gesture, he was given the "Pay It 4ward Award" by the outlet.

The woman was touched that the man extended a helping hand to her. "I swiped it and instantly, she started bawling her eyes out," Tate said. After that, she shared the story of his kindness on Facebook. As per CBS News, she wrote in her post, "[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." One of the reasons she took to Facebook was because she did not get the opportunity to properly thank the man. The story soon went viral and she was able to meet him and express her gratitude.

People also contacted her regarding WIC and helped her figure out how to go about it. For the sake of her children, she wished to remain anonymous. Tate believes that God put him there to help the woman, "When we feel like God is telling us to do something - how many times do we say no? At that moment, without a doubt, he was telling me to pay, telling me these people are in need, to help them." The fact that the story has reached far and wide, encouraging people to be more involved in kindness, further strengthens his belief.

This article originally appeared 7 months ago.