Waitress Finds $5,000, Returns It To Customer

Savannah, GA — A waitress who found $5,000 didn’t hesitate to return the money to the customer who lost it.

Jennifer Shaw, who works at Mercer’s Steak and Seafood on Wilmington Island, said she was surprised to find the money when she went to clean the table after the guests sitting there left.

“It was definitely shocking,” Shaw said. “It was mostly one hundred dollar bills, but there was one hundred that was broken up out of it.”

Shaw said the money belonged to a group of men who appeared to be having a reunion, and that she knew she had to make sure the money wasn’t left “out in the open” and put it in her apron before moving to the next table. She said the only thing for her to do was to return the sum to its rightful owner.

“I could tell that this was not just money that they did not need. This wasn’t just five dollars to them. This was like $5,000 that it would be to me,” she said.

Shaw managed to find the customer who left the money behind, and was given $100 for her good deed. Restaurant owner Mark Egan said he was proud to have honest employees working for him.

“Very rarely do people lose things in a restaurant facility like this, but when it happens it makes you feel wonderful that our staff are trust worthy,” he said.

Shaw isn’t the only good samaritan to return money. Last Sunday, Hassel Junior Barber, a homeless man from Kingston, New York, found a wallet with $485 inside and handed it over at a local police station. Officers were able to get in contact with the owner of the wallet, who was said to be “thankful” for getting it back. Barber brushed off the act, saying, “I looked at the wallet and I seen money. I didn’t bother to count it. It wasn’t mine. I didn’t want it.”

On Valentine’s Day, a California couple found a camera bag near the Golden Gate Bridge. Carlos and Barbara Landeros watched the bag for 45 minutes to see if the owner would return. When no one showed up, they opened the bag to look for an ID and found $11,000 in cash. The couple canceled their dinner reservations and brought the bag to the police station. The owner, a Chinese tourist, was tracked down and the money was returned.

What do you think of Jennifer Shaw returning the $5,000 she found?