Every new school year teachers all over the country are stressing about supplying their classrooms with the right tools and supplies to make sure their students have a successful year. With budget cuts weighing heavy on school districts, and some parents not able to afford to send their kids to school with the necessary supplies, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of many teachers. Many of them spending hundreds and thousands of dollars of their own money each year to supply their own classrooms.
Sabrina Drude, a 7th grade teacher in the San Antonio, TX area is one of those teachers. This past week she made a trip to Walmart to stock up on notebooks, pencils and other supplies for her classroom. As she waited to check out in line, the man behind her eyed her shopping cart and started asking her questions about what all the supplies were for. The teacher at Francis Scobee Middle School shared with the man that because she teaches in a very low socioeconomic area where kids can’t always afford the necessary school supplies, she purchases some for them.
The man in line, named Lester Brown, was very touched and inspired by her actions and offered to pay for the supplies. Drude refused saying she couldn’t accept his money, but was thankful for the offer. However, when her total rung up as $97, Brown jumped between her and the cashier and asked her to put her wallet away.
“He said, ‘Put your wallet away,’ and I just started crying,” Drude told CBS News. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Drude said that Brown told her teachers don’t get the recognition they deserve, which is why he was inspired to help.
Of course, Drude was very touched and grateful for the random act of kindness she never expected from a stranger.
“This is exactly the type of person I want to influence my kids to be,” said Drude. She plans on asking Brown to join her class for a pizza party. “I want him to inspire my kids just like he inspired me; if any of my kids grew up to be half the man he is I’d be very proud.”
