Sierra Sandoval was at the Layton Walmart on Monday with her four-year-old son and her six-month-old baby daughter.
“Me and the baby and my fiancé had just gotten home from the hospital because she had RSV," said Sandoval.
She was in the check-out line, about to pay for her groceries, when a stranger approached her.
“There is this little boy who came to me," said Sandoval. "He just handed me an envelope and said, ‘I just wanted to spread the holiday spirit.’”
She waited until she got to her car to open the gift from the small stranger.
“In the envelope, it had $500, and I was shocked," said Sandoval. I burst out into tears, like, I lost some hope a little bit because of the medicine shortage, and it was very difficult, and I just was stressed out.”
She wants to find out who they are, just so she can say 'Thank you.’
With her baby still recovering from RSV, Sandoval could’ve used the cash. Instead of keeping all the money for herself, she paid it forward to those in her community most in need.
“I wanted to buy toothbrushes, soup, canned vegetables and fruit, a lot of toilet paper and just whatever the homeless need," she said.
Sandoval spent most of the cash on supplies and donated them to the Lantern House in Ogden.
"Sierra's act of kindness is exactly how we survive as a nonprofit homeless shelter during the wintertime," said Lauren Navidomskis, Executive Director of the shelter.
Sierra’s donation goes a long way; the Lantern House has been putting out on social media about the need for toilet paper right now.
“I've worked here since 2016," said Navidomskis. "This is the first time that we've asked for toilet paper.”
Sandoval wants the young boy and his family to see how she took their random act of kindness and paid it forward.
“I just really hope that they see that I was spreading the holiday spirit also because I definitely am not one to just take," she said. "I like to actually give more than receive.”
