Fort Worth Neighbors Use Nextdoor to “Pay It Forward” for Young Cashier’s Act of Kindness

He approached the counter to purchase his items, and the young cashier, Christian, apologized for the wait. He explained that his previous customer had run out to her car to get money for her item.

“Do you mean the woman who’s driving away right now?” Karridy asked. Disappointed, Christian immediately took out his own debit card and swiped it for the $6 purchase. When Karridy asked why he didn’t want to just collect the video footage from the store’s surveillance cameras, Christian explained that the young woman was purchasing baby formula.

Touched, Karridy went home and posted on his Nextdoor website about his experience and Christian’s generosity. His neighbors immediately responded, expressing their desire to do something for the young man to thank him for his act of kindness. That day, several neighbors stopped by the Walgreens to pay Christian back the $6. But they didn’t stop there: within a few days, the neighborhood had raised $200.

“What’s so cool is that I didn’t solicit it. I just wanted to give neighbors an opportunity to recognize this young man,” Karridy said. He headed back to the Walgreens to purchase a gift card.

“He was working the register, helping customers in his typically friendly fashion,” Karridy says. “As he rang up my purchase, he smiled and told me about the random acts of kindness that he’d received from two strangers, and how cool he thought it was that people cared and took the time to stop by.”

Karridy admitted to Christian that he had posted about him on Nextdoor. He explained that those two weren’t the only neighbors who were impressed.

“His eyes widened as I slid the gift card back across the counter,” says Karridy. “I said, ‘Sir, this is yours. It’s from the neighborhood. We appreciate you.’ I shook his hand as he continued to process what I was saying.”

Needless to say, Christian was stunned. “He said to me, ‘Are you for real?’” Karridy says with a laugh. “He thought it was pretty cool.”

“Paying it forward was a pleasure,” Karridy admits. “It was really nice to just shake Christian’s hand and thank him.”

As reported by CBS Dallas-Ft. Worth.

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