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Thrift Store Manager Sifts Through Donation Clothes - Is Taken Back When Something Unexpected Falls Out of One of the Shirts
Uplifting News

Thrift Store Manager Sifts Through Donation Clothes - Is Taken Back When Something Unexpected Falls Out of One of the Shirts

*Featured image contains photo by Julia M CameronImagine finding a bundle of cash, and not just a few crumpled dollars, but a whopping $5,000. What would you do? Most people might be tempted to keep it, to rationalize that no one would ever know. But there's a thrift shop manager in the Bay Area who showed the world that kindness, pure and simple, is the path he'd choose.The day started like any other at the Pick of the Litter in Burlingame, where Oliver Jolis was managing the shop, ringing up sales, and sorting through donated items. But this ordinary day would soon take an extraordinary turn.What One Manager Found in a Bag of Donation ClothesPhoto by Karolina GrabowskaAs Jolis sifted through bags of donated clothes, money literally started falling out. A coworker, Amy Walsh, described it as, "Money just started falling out." Imagine their surprise as they witnessed cash fluttering down around them. It wasn't just a handful of bills; it was a substantial sum, a whopping $5,000 in cold, hard cash.Naturally, they were taken aback. It would have been easy to succumb to the temptation, to pocket the money and keep it a secret. But Oliver Jolis, showing the true essence of kindness and honesty, decided on a different course of action.Amidst the unexpected windfall, he discovered an old piece of paper within the bag, an old piece of car insurance information. Instead of keeping the money, Oliver and his coworkers made a remarkable decision. They embarked on a quest to find the owner of this cash, this small fortune that had inexplicably landed in their thrift store.Their journey to locate the owner was not in vain. With determination, they reached out to the woman who had donated items to the store. To ensure her identity, they asked her a series of questions. She answered them all correctly, confirming her as the rightful owner.The woman requested to remain anonymous, citing concerns for her safety and the fear of being targeted. She understood that in many situations, someone could have easily kept the money. It could have quietly slipped into the manager's pocket, and no one would have been the wiser. Yet, Oliver Jolis made a choice that would reaffirm one's faith in the inherent goodness of people."I said, 'Come on down, I've got something for you.' She came back, and I gave her $5,000 in a paper bag and said, 'Thank you for supporting us,'" Oliver recalled. It was a simple act, yet it spoke volumes about his character.How One Man Proved the Importance of IntegrityAt Pick of the Litter, Oliver Jolis has quickly become a familiar face. The thrift shop's profits contribute to the Peninsula Humane Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding homes for thousands of animals, many of whom arrive sick or injured. Oliver, himself, adopted his furry companions, Summer and Alzie.Regular customers have become friends, and the spirit of kindness and honesty reverberates through the store. San Mateo resident Trina Pierce expressed, "I wasn't surprised he found it and gave it back. We just love Oliver. The whole staff is great, but Oliver is special."That spirit of kindness infuses every corner of Pick of the Litter, enhancing not only their sales and revenue but also ensuring that countless animals find loving homes.In the anonymous woman's words, "Whatever you do in this world comes back to you ten times, be it negativity or positivity, it comes back." And it's evident that in this tale of kindness, positivity reverberated and touched the hearts of those who witnessed it.Oliver's furry friends, Summer and Alzie, serve as a testament to the enduring bonds of friendship and kindness. It's a reminder that a small act of goodness can create ripples of positivity in the world. Oliver's decision was not only honorable but a lesson for all of us. Kindness doesn't demand recognition or reward; it thrives in the selfless act itself.More from Goalcast:Homeless Man Returns Stranger’s Lost Check Instead of Keeping It – Their Conversation Was About to Change His LifeThree Kids Find Wallet Stuffed With $700 and Return It – Little Did They Know What Was Coming NextUnemployed Man Searches for Stranger Who Returned His $273M Lotto Ticket — and Hopes to Share His Earnings

Teen Finds $10,000 In a Purse Without ID – What He Did After Is A Reminder To All
Uplifting News

Teen Finds $10,000 In a Purse Without ID – What He Did After Is A Reminder To All

Rhami Zeini was on his way home from school in Santa Barbara, California, when he noticed a purse on the ground.The 16-year-old picked it up to see if he could find out some contact information of the owner. He couldn't find any phone numbers, but he did find more money than he'd ever seen in his life: $10,000.He did the right thingNow Zeini had a choice to make. Should he take the cash home or bring it to the police to see if they can locate the owner? He chose the latter and has no regrets.“To me, I figured this is the right thing to do, if I take it and find whoever’s purse it was, because if the roles were reversed and I had lost something with a significant sum of money inside, I know I would want it back for sure," Zeini told KEYT.The Sheriff's department was thrilled by Zeini's decision, telling KEYT that they'd never seen someone turn in a lost purse with this much cash in it.I feel if everyone did the right thing, the world would be a better place.Rhami ZeiniA $100 rewardPolice managed to find the owner of the purse, who had accidently left it on the hood of her car.According to police, the purse's owner was very grateful and gave Zeini a $100 reward for his good deed."It just makes you feel good about humanity and that there are people out there who'd do the right thing," said Kelly Hoover of the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department.Be honestWe live in a world where we're encouraged to do anything for a quick buck. But this dog-eat-dog can turn our communities into horrible places to live.We have to remember to be kind and honest, as this teenager was, to build a trustworthy community for all. Because as he says, if we'd lost our purse or wallet, we'd want someone to return it. More uplifting stories:Clever Teen’s Quick Plan Saves 11-Year-Old Girl From Being Kidnapped By Her ‘Dad’s Mate’“It’s My Turn to Take Care of You Now” – Single Mom Breaks Down After Son Surprises Her With Incredible GiftFather Discovers His Daughter Is a Bully – What He Does Next Is a Powerful Reminder to All ParentsCop Pulls Downcast Teen Over For Speeding – Has The Best Response When He Hears His StoryHonesty is the best policyDoing the right thing can present limitless rewards.

Teen Delivery Driver Scratches Rich Man's BMW By Mistake - Owner's Response Takes Him By Surprise
Uplifting News

Teen Delivery Driver Scratches Rich Man's BMW By Mistake - Owner's Response Takes Him By Surprise

Chen Yifan, 17, was out doing food deliveries in Zhengzhou, China, when he got a phone call about another order. As he answered it, he accidentally sideswiped a parked BMW with his electric tricycle.Mortified, Chen completed his delivery and returned to the car to apologize, but the driver wasn't there.“I drove back to the shop first and finished the delivery,” Chen told CCTV, China’s state-run news agency, according to a 2017 CNN report. “Then, I wrote an apology letter and headed back to the accident site.”He was 'really sorry for the accident'When the BMW owner, Xue Zhanmin, got up in the morning to get his car, he realized it had been scratched. Suddenly, he saw the letter from Chen along with 311 yuan ($45) in cash.Here's what it said, according to CNN: "Uncle, I’m sorry. I accidentally bumped into your car last night when I was driving an electric tricycle. I have all together over 300 yuan ($44), and give it to you as a compensation. I know the money was not enough, but that’s all the money I have. I feel really sorry for the accident.”Owner gives money back, and then someXue decided he couldn't be mad at the teenager, who probably came from a poor family. So, he asked a local traffic officer to help him track down Chen. Eventually, he did and returned the 311 yuan to the honest teen. But the story doesn't end here. He also gave Chen extra cash for a total of 10,000 yuan ($1,453).I wanted to return all the 311 yuan and I wanted to give him some financial support.Xue ZhanminThe power of forgivenessAccidents happen; nobody's perfect. But it's how we respond to our accidents and mistakes that counts.In this case, the teenager did the honest thing by apologizing to the owner and giving him as much money as possible. In many cases, the owner would just take the money and go — and that'd be fine. But Xue realized his financial privilege and forgave the boy instead, teaching him — and all of us — a valuable lesson in honesty.More uplifting stories:4 Years Ago, He Was Homeless–Today, He Bought His First HousePoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For OthersHonesty is the best policyIt's not always easy but it's always worth it.

Honest Goodwill Employee Finds $42,000 In Donated Clothing And Returns It
Uplifting News

Honest Goodwill Employee Finds $42,000 In Donated Clothing And Returns It

Despite a tough year during the pandemic, a Goodwill employee decided to give back $42,000 she found in a sweater — and was rewarded for her good deed.A lucky findAndrea Lessing was sorting through a stack of donations at a Goodwill in Oklahoma when she felt something that she thought was a book wrapped in a sweater. But it wasn't reading material, it was $42,000 in cold, hard cash. "My first thought was that it was fake. We've seen $5 and $20 donated here and there, but never in my life had I seen that much money," Lessing told CNN.Instead of stuffing her pockets, Lessing decided to report the money and track down the donor.With the help of some documentation of the donation, Goodwill was able to track down the money's owner and gave it back.Lessing said giving back the money was an important lesson of honesty for her six-year-old daughter."With every decision I make, I have to think about whether I would want my daughter to follow in my footsteps," she said. "I want her to know that kindness, integrity, and honesty can get you a lot of places in life." Rewarded for her honestyThe owner wouldn't let a good deed go unrewarded, and gave Lessing a $1,000 finders fee."Because of everything that's been going on within the past year and a half, it just meant more than anyone could imagine," Lessing said. "I didn't return the money expecting a reward or expecting to be on the news, I just believe if you do something good, it will come back to you eventually. And it did."In a statement, the CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma Jim Priest said Lessing did the right thing by returning what is one of the largest cash finds ever at a Goodwill."Andrea showed integrity when she turned in the money and Goodwill showed its integrity as an organization by tracing the donors so we could return the money," Priest wrote in the statement shared with CNN. "Andrea could have kept the money and Goodwill could have kept the money, but integrity is doing the right thing and it's a core value we strive to live out every day."Reflecting on the possibility of taking home the money, Lessing has no regrets about her decision."I never expected to come across $42,000. I made the right decision, and I did the right thing," she said in the statement. "I have to know where I sit with myself as a person and I feel like I make the right decision in doing the right thing."Set an exampleThe world can be a greedy place, but it's good to know that innocent, honest people like Lessing still exist. Now we can only hope that the owner of this cash is also motivated to do something generous and keeps the positive chain of events going. More uplifting stories:Man Gives Up First-Class Seat So 88-Year-Old Woman Can Fulfill Lifelong DreamMan Throws Drink At Pregnant Fast Food Worker, Customer Steps In With Best ReactionFormer Police Officer Fired For Saving A Life On Duty Gets VindicationBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others