Joy Tillman, who is in her early 80s and lives in the community apartments in Clarion, recently reached out to us. She had someone she wanted to thank.
Last week, Joy took the public transit van to the local dollar store. She picked up a number of items in her yellow basket. When she got to the check out, she planned to pay with a check. Unfortunately, she learned that the only way she could write a check was with an ID. "I offered to leave my things there and take the van back to my apartment to get my ID," Joy said.
A woman, next in line, who Joy believed was in her early 30s, stepped up to offer to pay for Joy's items. Joy said she was completely surprised and taken aback by the random act of kindness. "I wanted her name and address to be able to pay her back," she said. "She wouldn't let me, nor did I see the sales receipt, so I don't even know what the total was." The helper did not want any credit for what she did.
In the days after the occurrence, Joy said she wanted to thank this unknown stranger and let others know of the woman’s kindness. “I want people to know that there is goodness in this world and in this community,” Joy emphasized.
Though she might not ever find out the identity of her helper, Joy hopes the woman knows how grateful she is. And we hope that Joy’s story inspires generosity and kindness in others.
