NORMAN, Okla. – A Goodwill worker in Oklahoma recently discovered about $42,000 in cash while sorting through a pile of donations.
Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma posted photos of the discovery on Facebook.
Unlike others who may have kept the cash, employee Andrea Lessing reported the money and helped to reunite the large chunk of change with its rightful owner.
Lessing told CNN that she was going through some sweaters when she felt something odd. She unfolded the clothes and that’s where she found the stacks of cash.
The worker said she originally thought the money was fake, because the store doesn’t usually see large sums of money accidentally donated, maybe a few dollars here and there.
Lessing said she didn’t ever consider keeping the money. Since she’s raising a 6-year-old daughter, she said it’s important to lead by example and show her the importance of honesty.
However, Lessing was rewarded for her good deed. Goodwill says the owner of the cash gave Lessing $1,000 of the money to keep.
Lessing told CNN that she didn’t expect a reward, but that she believes if you do something good, it will come back to you.
Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma also commended Lessing for her integrity, saying it’s a core value that the company strives to live out every day.
Goodwill says the sum of cash was one of the largest ever found at any of its locations.
It remains unclear how the money got into the donations in the first place.
