If you’ve never experienced the embarrassment of having your card declined at the grocery store checkout, consider yourself very lucky.
Jason Boudreaux of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana was not so fortunate during a recent trip to Cade’s Market in St. Martinville. Jason, a former detective who now works as a sales and operations manager, had just deposited his paycheck an hour before he stopped at the store to pick up supplies for a seafood supper.
Unfamiliar with depositing checks, Jason didn’t realize that the funds wouldn’t be available right away. Just before it was his turn at the register, he’d been chatting with the man behind him, so when his card got declined for the $30 purchase, a voice behind him piped up.
“This lil gentleman said I got you,” Jason described in a Facebook post. “I said no you don’t you probably didn’t hear the price. He responded yes Sir I did, and I got you.”
Jason was so flustered by the exchange that he didn’t manage to catch his hero’s name, but he was desperate to find him and repay him.
“I scrambled to (my) car to give him my business card, so I can repay him,” Jason’s post continued. “He said no problem, but it is a problem to me owing money to anyone. But the point of this is the dude just stepped up for a complete stranger, he should be recognized.”
Jason said he was fully prepared to put on his detective hat and track the man down, but mutual friends who saw the Facebook post solved the mystery much faster than he could have. The man is Kevin Jones, a fellow father-of-three who drives a truck for a living. As soon as he saw Jason’s card get declined, he knew he had to help.
“Coming from where I come from in Louisiana, it’s not a very wealthy town,” Kevin told TODAY. “I know that feeling. So not having the right amount of funds to pay for groceries, I know that feeling. I see a lot of people going through that, and not a lot of people are willing to make a sacrifice and step up and help the next person.”
Kevin never expected to be repaid at all, but he was delighted when Jason tracked him down and invited his whole family over to Sunday lunch.
Kevin and his wife joined the Boudreaux for “Family Day,” a weekly event at his parents’ house where each family member takes turns feeding anyone who stops by. When Jason learned the day happened to be Kevin’s birthday, they organized an impromptu birthday party with a jelly donut instead of a cake.
Today, the men are friends who feel as close as family. They text each other frequently and have lots of Family Days in their future.
“I would describe it more as brothers,” said Jason. “He’s honestly one of the most sincere souls I’ve met — and I’ve met many.”
“I live by a motto: ‘If I got it, you got it,’” Kevin added. “Doesn’t matter your color, doesn’t matter to me. We brothers and sisters from different people.”
Helping someone out of a jam feels good no matter what, but making a new friend makes it all the sweeter!
Share this story to celebrate new friendships made while helping our fellow humans.
