Cashier Pays $150 for Homeless Mom and Toddler’s Groceries: “A Miracle,” She Said

October 28, 2026

A mother who thought she would have to leave a grocery store empty-handed was moved to tears when a kindhearted cashier stepped in and paid for her groceries, giving her and her young daughter one less thing to worry about during a difficult time.

Ada Everingham / Credit: Alex Hunt/NewmarketToday

Gina Coleman had been staying at a Yellow Brick House shelter with her toddler when the two went shopping at Longo’s in Ontario. They had received gift cards to help purchase groceries, but there was a problem when they reached the checkout.

The store could not accept the gift cards because they were for a different grocery retailer. With no money to cover the bill herself, Coleman was left wondering what to do next.

“I felt embarrassed. I don’t have the money for it. I thought, ‘What do I do?’” she told Aurora Today.

That was when Longo’s employee Ada Everingham stepped forward with an offer that changed the entire experience.

She would pay for the groceries herself.

Everingham used her debit card to cover approximately $150 worth of food, ensuring Coleman and her daughter could take home what they needed.

Overwhelmed by the unexpected generosity, Coleman broke down in tears.

She later described the experience as “a miracle.”

For Coleman, however, the kindness meant far more than the money itself. She explained that when people are struggling, it can be easy to question their own worth and worry about how others see them.

In that moment, a stranger had done something powerful. She had offered help without judgment and reminded a mother going through a difficult chapter that there are people willing to care.

“People hear all these horrible things that go on, but there are wonderful things out there, too,” Coleman said.

For Everingham, the decision came from a place of personal understanding.

She and her mother had experienced food insecurity when she was younger and had relied on gift cards themselves. Remembering those difficult times helped her recognize an opportunity to make a difference for someone else.

“I just thought I would have liked it if someone did that for me, too,” Everingham said.

She added, “Doing one good deed is not the end of the world, and seeing her reaction made me cry.”

Coleman was so touched by the encounter that she later contacted the store’s guest care team to share what Everingham had done.

And there is more good news ahead for Coleman and her little girl.

The two recently received a townhouse through a transitional housing program and are preparing to move to Belleville on November 16.

After a period of uncertainty, they are looking forward to a new chapter and a place they can call home.

“My daughter and I would always have to sleep together, and now she has her own bed,” she said.

Everingham may have set out to pay for a stranger’s groceries, but her kindness did much more than fill a shopping bag. She gave a struggling mother a moment of relief and a reminder that she was not alone.