Publix Employee Gives Car to Co-Worker Who Walked to Work: ‘He Truly Has Earned It’

A young man in Alpharetta, Georgia, received a much-needed and unexpected gift from his fellow employee not long ago.

Publix worker Zerubabbel “Z” Yisrael had been saving his money to buy a car, but after paying rent and other bills every month he was struggling to save enough to do it, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“He would call an Uber to take him to and from work — which could cost nearly $25 on a busy Saturday night. When he had no money for an Uber, Yisrael would just walk the nearly 4 miles to Store 556,” the article read.

Despite the circumstances, he said he did not mind walking to his job.

“I come to work an hour early. I was taught to be an hour early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late and to be late is to be fired,” Yisrael explained.

Deli Manager Adam Speiler learned of his situation after they closed the store together a few times and waited for Yisrael’s ride.

“I had always lived paycheck to paycheck. We talked about that one night,” Speiler recalled, adding, “After the longest time, I was finally able to afford a new car.”

When he went to trade in his 2004 Toyota Camry Solara recently and was told it was only worth about $1,500, Speiler talked to his manager about giving it to someone who needed a car.

“It was like an aha moment when I saw Z coming around the corner,” he said, adding that Yisrael was one of the hardest working employees at the store.

“So it was kinda nice to actually help someone that actually works their butt off and tries to do the best thing for Publix. So I feel he truly earned it,” Speiler continued.

Yisrael said his work ethic came from his father and from his time in the National Guard.

“Every day I come to work, I just do me,” he said, and explained that his dad always told him to “Be busy.”

“Always be doing something, whether it’s sweeping the floor or taking out the trash. Don’t just do nothing,” he recalled.

When the deli manager gave him the car, Yisrael was ecstatic.

“To me, it wasn’t necessarily about doing something nice. He truly has earned it,” Speiler concluded.