Nick Tate is one of many cashiers who work at a WalMart in Newcastle, Oklahoma. But to one foster mom and her children, he is a hero who deserves to be celebrated.
Not too long ago, Nick was finishing up his shift when a woman and her three children stepped up to his checkout station. “I’m sorry,” she said as she began unloading her groceries onto the conveyor belt. The woman, who seemed a bit overwhelmed as she juggled her groceries and her rambunctious kids, was drawing judgmental looks from the other customers in line.
But the 20-year-old cashier chose to treat the woman with dignity and kindness as he understandingly asked if she was having “one of those days.” The woman went on to tell Nick that she was a foster parent, and that she had just signed up for a federal assistance program to help pay for food earlier that day. She was unfamiliar with the program, and couldn’t find a baby formula that was covered.
Her face fell when the card was declined. But as Nick turned to call a manager over to help with the situation, he felt that God was telling him to pay for the woman’s groceries. “God told me, ‘I put you in this place at the right time, and I knew you were ready for this – to pay for this.’ So without hesitation, I pulled my card out and swiped it.” Nick paid the entire bill for the woman’s groceries, which added up to around $60. The woman burst into thankful tears after Nick’s kind gesture. She was so moved that she took to Facebook to share the story later that day after she got home.
Days later, a customer approached Nick to ask if he was the cashier from a story that had been circulating the social networks in their area. When Nick confirmed that he was indeed the cashier from the story, the customer nominated him for a local program called Pay It 4Ward.
Pay It 4Ward is a local program that seeks to recognize the kind and noble deeds of others. Nick got a visit from local news station KFOR Channel 4 News and Fidelity Bank within the week. He was presented with $400 on live television while his co-workers and managers looked proudly on.
The 20-year-old student attends a local Bible college. The cash reward could go a long way to help fund his mission trips to Honduras where he has participated in sports outreach programs on previous trips. “It made my heart really happy,” Nick shared. “It confirmed that I’m doing what God wants me to do.”
