An 18-year-old Chick-fil-A employee in North Carolina was on a break after a long shift just days before Easter when he spotted two envelopes in the men’s restroom that many would have dismissed as trash.
But that employee – Jaydon Cintron – went the extra step, first by not ignoring it and then by choosing to act on what he found.
“They were on the floor next to the toilet. My first thought was just like … okay, no, this isn’t happening,” Cintron told WITN. “Something is wrong.”
Cintron works at the Kinston, N.C., Chick-fil-A, delivering sandwiches along with friends and a healthy dose of “my pleasures” – and as customers and coworkers would soon find out, plenty of trustworthiness and humility, too.
Cintron picked up the envelopes from the floor and soon noticed a detail of potential importance: logos bearing the names of financial establishments: First Citizens Bank and Truist Bank. Inside the two envelopes was enough cash to tempt just about anyone – nearly $10,000 total.
The Chick-fil-A employee, though, turned it in.
When asked by WITN why he didn’t keep the money, Cintron responded simply, “That’s not what Jesus would’ve done. That’s not what God would’ve wanted.”
Employees searched security footage to try and identify the owner – but to no avail. Eventually, the owner came back to the restaurant, searching for the missing envelopes.
“A lot of people will … unfortunately, take that money and run with it,” Kinston Police Chief Keith Goyette told WITN. “Kudos to that employee at Chick-fil-A. He definitely deserves a reward.”
The owner of the money approached Cintron with a $500 reward – an offer the young man initially refused. Eventually, though, he accepted it.
“True leadership, you know, true integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching,” restaurant owner John McPhaul told WITN. “Jaydon did that in this case, and he should be commended for it.”