For many families, a store's layaway is a lifesaver come Christmas time. For people struggling to afford gifts, it's a solution that takes some of the burden away, but at the end of the day, the cost normally doesn't disappear–unless of course you've been visited by one of these "Layaway Angels."
People across the country have been sharing stories of Good Samaritans anonymously taking care of their Christmas debt. These generous citizens have been giving their money and sharing their love with complete strangers by taking away some of the stress and worry many families are facing. Here are five incredible stories:
1) Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania – When a man walked into the layaway department of a local Walmart and offered to pay off every single customer's layaway account, the store's manager wanted to be sure he'd heard him correctly. "We first thought he said $5,000 — but no, he wanted to make a $50,000 donation. We made him repeat it twice," said store manager Steve Myers. The man, only known as Santa B, paid of $50,000 in layaway debt in cashier's checks before quietly exiting the store. The payment couldn't have come at a better time as it was the last day customers could balance out their layaway accounts.
2) Bellingham, Massachusetts- An unknown woman paid off $20,000 of layaway debt at a local Toys 'R' Us store which ended up covering every customer's Christmas haul. The money helped close 150 layaway accounts and according to a local news outlet, when people found out about the generous act, they were in tears.
3) Lake City, Florida – A customer at the Walmart Supercenter in Lake City, Florida donated $63,000 and paid off nearly 300 layaway accounts this month. "It was an outstanding thing," store manager Gary Taylor told ABC News. "It's good to know there are still some good Samaritans in the world." At a nearby store in Chiefland, Florida, a patron anonymously donated $51,000 towards patron's layaway accounts. It's unclear if this was the same person.
4) Auburn, Massachusetts – Cathy O'Grady, the owner of Sofia's Angels, an organization that specializes in helping all people, especially those in need, did her part this Christmas by walking into her local Toys 'R' Us and paying off $19,600 in layaway accounts. O'Grady, whose mother passed away from breast cancer 17 years ago, attributed her generous spirit to the woman who gave her life. "She was always a giver, and I wasn't sure how I was going to carry on her legacy and her memory," O'Grady told ABC News.
5) Gastonia, North Carolina – Six women were standing at a layaway counter in a local store in Gastonia, NC when a man walked in and handed them each a $100 bill, then promptly walked out without a word. Four of the six women were single mothers and one was a grandmother who was there to cancel her layaway items because she was taking care of her grandchild over the holidays and needed the money for diapers.
Let's all be inspired by these Angelsand embody the true spirit of this holiday season: giving and love.
