Teen Kroger worker hears elderly man being asked to 'put groceries back' — quietly reaches into his own pocket to help him
Many people believe in treating others the way they want to be treated. In 2020, a teen Kroger worker stood by the idea through both his words and actions. The then-18-year-old, Teo Jordan, was working as a bag boy at a Kroger store when he noticed that an elderly man did not have enough money to purchase all the groceries he needed. The cashier told the man to keep some of it back, but Jordan stepped in and decided to help the customer, per WLWT News.
Jordan was a student at Holmes High School when the incident took place. "I just seen I wanted to help the guy. I saw that he didn't have the money for all the groceries that he wanted. The cashier told him he would have to put some of the thing back so I just thought in my head I would give him this $35 so he could have all the food that he wants," the boy recounted. He had started working as a bag boy at the store only a few weeks before the incident. The high school student had taken that job to buy a car for himself and also help his family out, according to the outlet.
However, he decided to help a stranger at that moment and show kindness. "Just treat people the way you want to be treated (and) always help out if someone needs it," Jordan remarked. "I am proud of Teo. I'm overwhelmed with joy. You try to instill in your kids right and wrong, but you don't know if they comprehend, so yes, I'm very proud," Jordan's mom, Stephanie Burton, told the outlet. The boy was a high school senior at that time and a part of his school's basketball team. He didn't really want all the attention he got after the incident. "He gave him a couple of extra meals, probably that he didn't have, you know," Burton went on. "We just need to be human again," the mom said and gave her son a big hug.
"I wanted to do something helpful for people. Let him know that god is there for him," Jordan expressed. "And make sure to have a good day." At least one-third of older adults (aged 65 years or older) experience financial strain and struggle to make ends meet in the US, according to a 2021 study by the National Library of Medicine. 60 percent of them experienced a financial shock each year in the form of unexpected expenses or loss of income. Financial challenges were the most common among adults near the poverty threshold, disabled people and black people. The stress due to financial adversities could lead to faster physiologic aging, per the study.
Many people appreciated the teenager's kind act in the comments section of WLWT's YouTube video. @patriciahamilton5811 wrote, "I commend you for being so generous. A shout out to your mother, as she raised a generous young man with great morals. Keep on doing the next right thing." @JPMcFly1985 commented, "Much love to Gen Zers like him, seriously, today's teens are a lot nicer than most Millennials my age were in the late 90s/early 2000s." @DS-rt1ed remarked, "Bravo...this kid understands what it's all about — community taking care of each other."