Woman pays for stranger's food — receives a touching thank-you message a year later

The soaring cost of living has made it increasingly difficult for many across the country. Even those who live on a budget sometimes fail to make ends meet. It is during these trying times that there is an increasing need for people to help each other. So, when Reddit user, u/Rare_Cranberry_9454, had the opportunity to help a stranger with food, she stepped up and paid for his meal. She eventually forgot about it, but a year later, she received a heartwarming text from the person who still remembers her timely help.

The woman based in Johannesburg, South Africa, pointed out that they had an app named Freecycle where people can list things they would wish to give away for free and people in need can ask for help. "A year ago, someone asked for food on freecycle and I sent the equivalent of $5," the woman wrote. Despite potential scammers on such apps, she chose to send the stranger money. Her kindness was soon rewarded with a wholesome message where the stranger expressed his gratitude saying, "I'm truly grateful for what you did for me on 25th April, 2023."

The person added that he was getting better in life and was an honors graduate and an assistant part-time lecturer, though he still had a low income. "I'm here to tell you, when I'm alright, I'll never forget you," the text read. The woman was surprised and overwhelmed with emotions seeing the stranger's thoughtful words. "That brought me to tears. I don't even know what I did," she replied. The stranger added, "You might've thought it was a small amount, but to me, there was a huge difference from that day."

In the comments, the kind woman admitted she was initially skeptical, fearing a scam, yet her compassion prevailed, and she helped the hungry stranger. She wrote, "When he said thank you, I didn't want to engage too much because I thought if I was too nice he'd be back in a couple of days asking for more. This was not the case and I'm sorry for having doubted him." In another comment, the woman said, "This guy restored my faith." When people expressed that since the stranger was doing better, they could return the $5, but the woman responded that he could pay it forward to someone in need. She was also emotional about how the stranger remembered her small help and sent a picture of him with his mom at his graduation. People were extremely touched by this wholesome incident.

"Sometimes, we have no idea how a small gesture can have such a big impact on someone's life. The fact that he remembered your gesture and wanted to follow up with you to thank you is genuinely beautiful," said u/WildRabbitz. "That's really nice. This person is still reflecting on your kindness a year later. It meant a lot to them, probably helped lift their spirits when they were down," noted u/BabyAnimal11. "The small things can have a big impact sometimes. Empathy is so underrated," wrote u/what_the_actual_fc.

This article originally appeared 7 months ago.