Teen Employee Chips In To Help Elderly Customer In Need Pay For His Groceries

Nov 06, 2022

When 18-year-old Teo Jordan arrived for his shift as a bagger at the local Kroger store in Covington, Kentucky, he had no idea the impact he would end up having on one customer’s life. In a simple but brave act of kindness, when an elderly customer could not afford the cost of his grocery purchase, Teo did not hesitate to step in and help with money from his own pocket.

Teo was bagging the customer’s groceries when he overheard the cashier quietly inform the older man that he did not have enough money to buy all the groceries in his cart. The cashier then told the man he would need to put some of the items back. That is when Teo stepped in and took it upon himself to make sure the gentleman went home with all the food he needed.

Teo told local news station WLWT in their reporting on the teen’s act of kindness that he saw the man did not have the money he needed to purchase the food in his cart. He then decided to take $35 cash from his pocket to ensure the man had the food he needed. 

Outside of his part-time job at Kroger, Teo was a senior student and basketball player at Holmes High School in Covington. He had taken the job at Kroger just a few weeks earlier with ambitious plans to save all his paychecks toward the purchase of a car for himself. However, on this particular day, Teo was still happy to share his earnings when he saw a person in need.

In a time of national contention and disagreement, this sort of story of thoughtful behavior might seem out of the ordinary. The decision to think of others first appears, in many circles, to have fallen out of favor with everyday people.

For Teo, though, there was really no decision to be made at that moment. According to WLWT, he credited his mother, Stephanie Burton, for raising him to treat others as he expects to be treated in return. 

With that advice in mind, Teo stepped in to help as soon as he saw the man’s need.

Expressing his thought process upon hearing this customer was coming up short for his needed groceries, Teo said that he always tries to help others who need it. Teo’s simple words regarding caring for those in your communities sent a powerful message.

Teo’s mother expressed her pride over her son’s decision to help, telling the local news station how delighted she was to find out about Teo’s act of kindness. 

“I’m proud of Teo,” she beamed excitedly. She elaborated that she had always tried to teach her son how to tell right from wrong and treat others properly. She then added with pride, “So he was listening.” And that instruction was put into action on that day.

Although Teo would rather not have had the spotlight shone on his good deed, many in the community felt he needed to be recognized for changing another person’s life. Teo’s mother further noted that his generous heart is the reason that the customer was able to have a few extra meals he might not have otherwise been able to purchase.

“I wanted to help the guy,” Teo explained. 

This generous gesture made perfect sense to this young man whose heart seemed set on kindness to others, even though he was working toward his own personal goals. Teo’s humility boiled his focus down to treating others well. His goal was to do good deeds for those around him and make sure they knew they were loved and cared for.

And it seems like that good deed went both ways. Following word about what Teo had done to help an elderly customer, many people chipped in and donated to a GoFundMe page. The page started with a goal of $3,000, but generous donators surpassed that goal – totaling $3,775. Many people also left words of praise for Teo, along with their donations.

One person said, “Imagine what the world would be like, if this was how all humans behaved, all the time? Great work Teo!” Another added, “We need more selfless people in the world like Teo! ❤️”

Who would have known that so much good would come from one simple act of kindness? For the customer in need who went home with a full bag of groceries that generous day, Teo’s thoughtfulness surely made a huge difference in his life. For such a young man to set the pace for kindness is an encouragement and example to others that will hopefully not go unnoticed.

His mother, Burton, agreed that it is a lesson we should all take time to learn and consider. She was proud to see Teo was doing a great job showing kindness, even toward strangers.

What did you think about this young man helping an elderly person in need? What would you have done if you were in his position? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.