CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi H-E-B bagger Maria Balboa was working a normal shift when she says a voice inspired her to make a change in one family's life.
A woman with two children came through her register with a handful of groceries. When it was time to pay, Balboa said the woman only had $19 left on her SNAP card but couldn't afford the rest of the total. "... She was stunned and said that they needed to put all the groceries back besides a couple items. My heart felt for her and the two little boys. I asked the cashier what the remaining total was and she said it was $137," Balboa explained via Facebook.
That is when the young bagger and college student said she heard a voice that compelled her to help pay for the groceries. "Immediately I heard a voice inside my head saying, 'pay for the groceries.' I pulled out my card and told the lady I would be paying for them. She told me no at first and said she felt embarrassed but I insisted on paying," she explained.
Balboa said she knew that she would get it back, but didn't know if that would be the same for the woman, she explained on a Facebook post. " ..I knew that I would get it back on payday and maybe she wouldn’t."
Balboa's generosity didn't go unnoticed. When she returned to work the next day, she said she was called into the manager's office. According to Balboa's post, her managers had let her know that there was a survey that was left by the woman. She was brought to tears because of the kind words. "I get called into the manager's office where I think I am in trouble. But no, he stated that there was a survey written about me by the lady whose groceries I paid for. Reading the survey made me tear up and I felt good about paying for the groceries," she said.
The store's manager, Mark Moeller, ended up reimbursing the college student for her good deed. Balboa also received a goody basket with groceries, according to her Facebook post.
" I felt very proud and also shocked when my manager said he was going to reimburse me the $137. They also made me a goody basket with groceries to show their appreciation. I was so grateful for their kindness as well as to the lady for writing the survey. Hearing her words made me realize that it’s small things like paying for groceries that can help people out in ways we don’t even know," She said.
The woman ended up being a grandmother who was taking care of her grandkids that day, according to the pictured survey. You never know when you'll be called on to make a change in a person's life.
