Paying it forward

High school graduate Adrian Rodriquez was walking through a supermarket parking lot in California, when he noticed an abandoned purse in a shopping cart. Rather than bring it inside, he decided to take matters into his own hands and deliver it to the address found on the license inside. 

• While owner Melina Marquez wasn't home at the time, she was able to see Adrian's act of kindness on her doorbell cam. Blown away by his thoughtfulness, she wanted to somehow pay him back. 

💸 Good karma... After finding Adrian through the town's Facebook group, Melina set up a GoFundMe for the graduate, raising a casual $18,000 in just over a month. 

• “It feels good. I appreciate it. I really do, everything everybody’s doing,” shared a grateful Adrian. “My mom always told me since I was little to always do the right thing when nobody’s around.”

Note: an earlier version of this story ran on July 27, 2022. Our Positive DONUT writer Kailyn is currently deep in 50-hour/week rehearsals for another slate of upcoming live shows (which is taking a lot of her focus).