Forgotten wallet turns into cashier generosity repaid hundreds of times over

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KGAN) — Sam Hammes' forgetfulness is turning into a celebration of Peter Mbonabucha's selfless generosity.

Mbonabucha - who works as a cashier at the Oakland Road Hy-Vee in northeast Cedar Rapids - was surprised Wednesday morning when Hammes and store staff revealed that a kind gesture he made earlier in the month is being repaid hundreds of time over.

Hammes says it all started with forgetting his wallet at home when he went to work on Friday, January 8. A coworker lent Hammes $100 to save him the trip back home before he went to get groceries. When Hammes rolled up to the checkout lane, he realized he probably didn't have enough to cover his bill. Mbonabucha was working the register - and didn't hesitate to use his own debit card to pay the $12 still owed on the bill.

"I did not expect anything in return" Mbonabucha said Wednesday, adding that it's far from the first time he's covered a grocery bill. "I had already forgotten."

"I didn't forget about it," Hammes responded, "and it was on my mind for a long time. It was a very kind gesture and (it's) something that'll stick with me forever."

Hammes opened a GoFundMe page a week later to raise some "Thank you" money for Mbonabucha, calling it "The $12 Impact." As of Wednesday morning, more than $3,500 had been donated to the fund in just 12 days - well past the page's $3,000 goal and nearly 300 times the amount Mbonabucha lent Hammes when he came through the checkout line earlier this month.

The two embraced in a masked hug after the reveal - with a small crowd applauding the men for the acts of reciprocating kindness.

"I have experienced many times - I run out of funds to buy what I need," Mbonabucha said, "And I have similar (experiences) - people I don't know covering my amount that I miss. When I see someone in the situation and I'm able to, I try to do my best."

The GoFundMe will stay open to collect more donations for Mbonabucha through Sunday. Hammes says Mbonabucha's register is the only one he'll go to at Hy-Vee from now on.