Secret Santa Pays Off More Than $40,000 in Layaways at New Jersey Walmart

A secret Santa paid off more than $40,000 worth of layaway orders at a New Jersey Walmart over the weekend.

Store managers told WTXF that they suspect a local businessperson paid the $40,000 in layaway orders for more than 200 customers at the Millville Walmart.

Jaquetta Maddox, one of the customers who benefited from this secret Santa’s generosity, said she is grateful for this early “Christmas blessing,” especially after she and her family had been evicted from their home earlier in the year.

“I call it a Christmas blessing, I never had anything like this happen to me,” Maddox told CBS Philadelphia, adding that she took on extra hours at her job to ensure that her children had gifts for Christmas.

Jessica Smith, another customer who benefited from the random act of kindness, said she plans to pay it forward.

“I was going to cancel my order because we couldn’t afford it. When they told me that I was in shock, at first my mouth dropped–I looked at my husband and cried,” Jessica said. “We are so thankful…we will definitely pay it forward some way this holiday season.”

A Walmart spokesperson confirmed that the Good Samaritan who paid off the orders wished to remain anonymous, and said the company was “honored” to play a part in such “random acts of kindness.”

“When customers quietly pay off others’ layaway items, we’re reminded how good people can be,” Tara Aston, a Walmart spokesperson, told NJ Advance Media. “The joy that comes from these transactions extends well beyond dollars and cents. We’re honored to be a small part of these random acts of kindness.”

These Good Samaritan “secret Santas” have been known to pay off department store accounts around the holiday season.

Another secret Santa, who only wished to be identified as “Charlie K,” paid off $10,000 worth of layaway orders at a New Jersey Toys ‘R Us in November.

In December 2016, a secret Santa known as “Santa B” paid off more than $46,000 in layaway items at a Walmart in Pennsylvania.

In 2015, an anonymous donor visited two Ohio Walmarts and paid off 106,000 worth of layaway items. That same year, a secret Santa paid off $200,000 worth of layaway items at two Florida locations.