Central Oregonians’ random acts of kindness help others in need

'He says, 'The Lord told me need to bless you, and to help you with your groceries.''

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- The toughest of times often brings out unexpected moments of generosity. Some Central Oregonians are paying it forward with random acts of kindness at grocery stores.

Mary Ferrante was shopping at the east side Safeway in Bend on Monday when a man passed her and complimented her purple hair. She said she thanked the man and told him to have a nice day, not knowing that a few minutes later, she'd be approached by the same man and gifted with a $100 bill for her groceries.

"Well, saw him reach down into his pocket, and I still didn't pay any attention to what he was doing. And so we're talking and he says, 'The Lord told me to bless you and to help you with your groceries today," Ferrante said Tuesday. "I see he had some money in his hands."

Ferrante said she didn't want to accept the money, because the man appeared to have a wife and young family with him, but he told her his family had been truly blessed and he wanted to pay it forward.

"There's people standing around like, 'What's going on? What is this?'" Ferrante recalled. "They kind of started coming up towards me, and I lost track of the young man. II actually was shaking and didn't know what to do. I didn't even know what was in this money that he gave me, so the next thing I know is I look and the young man is gone, he and his family are gone."

Ferrante said these acts of kindness to her are a form of healing as we navigate through the pandemic, and she plans on paying it forward to someone else.

Another woman in La Pine also reached out to NewsChannel 21 to say she was gifted $160 from a stranger at the Grocery Outlet, and said he simply just wanted her to pay it forward as well.