Texas Cashier Pays For Shoplifter’s Baby Formula, Neighbors ‘Pay It Forward’

A Texas teen cashier’s act of generosity has sparked his community to “pay it forward.”

Christian Griffan, a cashier at a Walgreens in Keller, Texas, could have easily turned a shoplifter in, but he instead decided to do what most people wouldn’t. When a woman told him she had to go to her car to get her money for the baby formula she was purchasing, Griffan took her word. However, another customer, Karridy Askenasy, pointed out that she was driving away.

“So, I’m walking up to pay for my goods,” Askenasy recalled, “and he’s apologizing, ‘I’m so sorry, sir, this lady’s running out to her car to get some money .’ I looked outside, and I’m like: ‘the lady that’s driving away?'”

Askenasy, who was in the store to pick up a prescription, noted that Christian looked disappointed for merely a second before he reached into his wallet to pay for the formula.

“I’m like ‘you’re gonna pay for that?” Askenasy said, according to CBS Local. “You shouldn’t pay for it… you’ve got cameras, get her plates and get her back here to pay for it!’ And he was like, ‘nah, she had formula.'”

Askenasy was so impressed by the character of the young man that he decided to share the story on NextDoor, a neighborhood site on Facebook. It was immediately shared hundreds of times and garnered over 1,000 likes. Neighbors started pouring in to reimburse Griffan for the money he spent.

“Before I knew it, I had $200 and people coming to me to give me money,” Askenasy said. “What’s so cool is that I didn’t solicit it. I just wanted to give neighbors an opportunity to recognize this young man.”

Askenasy went back to the Walgreens, where Christian was working, and told him he needed to buy a gift card. After he rang it up he handed it back to Askenasy, who then slid it back across the counter.

“Sir, that is yours. It’s from the neighborhood. We appreciate you,” he said and then shook his hand.

Griffan seemed genuinely shocked as he accepted his gift, and Askenasy said it took him a minute to convince him the gift card was for him.

“Are you for real?! Seriously? Awww mannn, that’s cool!” he said.

[Image via Facebook/Karridy Askenasy]