Ever since the pandemic hit our shores, we’ve all seen how hectic things have become at many of our favorite grocery stores, as many of the essential items such as toilet paper, meat, beans, rice, and cleaning supplies have been flying off the shelves. And for seniors venturing outside of their homes, they are taking the highest risk, as COVID-19 is said to impact older folks more so than any other age group. And with many businesses still closed, those seniors who may have worked part-time jobs for extra income are finding themselves in dire straits. As we all know, even before the pandemic, there were millions of seniors out there who have to make tough life decisions such as choosing between buying food or their medicine.
For Layne Mckeel of Georgetown, Tennesse, he’s been trying to go out as little as possible, taking trips to the grocery store as soon as his disability check arrives so he can stock up on all the essentials. However, about a week ago, after receiving his check, McKeel filled up his grocery cart with about $170 worth of items. However, he did not account for the fact that he had missed the store’s senior discount hours. Once he reached the cashier, his heart sank as embarrassment washed over him.
“When she said it was $173.00, I said ‘Oh no’ and I pulled my wallet out and I only had 140,” McKeel told WRCBtv.
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Although the 17-year-old cashier was only doing her job when she informed him of the total amount of his grocery bill, she still could not stand to see the elderly man taking items out of his cart, especially since everything he had seemed to be absolutely essential.
“It was all essential stuff so I was just like you know, and he was like what do I owe you? And I was like no, it’s fine, I’ll take care of it, it’s okay,” said Elizabeth Taylor, cashier at Fresh N Low in Georgetown.
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While Mckeel was more than willing to remove the extra items from his shopping cart, Taylor decided that she was going to do something she doesn’t normally do. After all, he would have had enough had come during senior hours, and he had already risked his safety by coming out to the store that day. So she decided to pay the balance of his grocery bill. At first, McKeel had no words.
“She’s just a little angel is what she was. You know, just the light of day,” McKeel said.
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However, Taylor explained her motivation behind her act of kindness.
“We’ve seen a lot of older people, and they’re all trying to buy groceries, and a lot of places have ran out of stuff, and so the older people are kind of taking the downfall for that. I just try to give back when I can,” Taylor said.
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While many worry about the moral strength of the new generation, young people like Taylor remind us every day that the future is in good hands. Her story is just one example of how young folks are ready and willing to give back to society when given a chance and how even the smallest gestures can have a huge impact on people’s lives.
You can watch a news report on this story below.
