With all the horror in the world, sometimes all we need is some random kindness from a complete stranger to reinforce our faith in humanity.
“I had an associate from Kmart call me and say my items were paid off by a Christmas angel,” Berks County mom Stacey Weidner said Tuesday.
Stacey says that an anonymous stranger paid the bill for $450 in toys for her 4-year-old daughter that she put on layaway at the Kmart in Shillington, Pa.
With the holidays overshadowed by the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., Stacey says the gracious gesture means even more.
“There’s so many tragic events going on in today’s world and it’s hard to find good people nowadays.”
She wasn’t the only person given an unexpected gift by a stranger at that Kmart store. At least one other mom says their layaway bill was picked up by the “layaway angel.”
Lori Amato says that someone stopped by the store and paid off the $161 layaway bill she had after buying a video game system and shoes for her son and two daughters.
“I was really happy and to know that there are people that actually still care and still want to help out,” Lori said.
Kmart wouldn’t say how much the secret Santa gave or how many people’s layaway bills he or she covered.
Lori says that maybe it was karma since she had earlier dropped off Christmas trees for people who couldn't afford them. And, Stacey used the random act of kindness as an opportunity to spread the good cheer.
“I just felt so blessed and I immediately thought to myself this is not intended for me. I have to pay this forward in some way,” Stacey said.
Stacey contacted the Wilson School District and they put her in touch with the nurse at Shiloh Hills Elementary in Sinking Spring.
“She said, ‘there’s a little girl that would love to be blessed by me as the Christmas Angel.’ So with that being said over the weekend I had an absolute blast at Toys R Us!”
Stacey went out and spent $450 -- the same amount the “layaway angel” spent on her. She bought toys for the little girl who’s the same age as her daughter.
Looks like a few acts of kindness really can brighten the holiday season.
“This morning when I woke up I just felt different than I felt over the past weekend. I’m going to do something really good this morning.”
Stacey, you did.
