Goodwill Worker Receives $1,000 After Returning $42,000 She Found In Donation Pile

A Goodwill employee was gifted $1,000 after finding and returning $42,000 that she located in a pile of donations.

Andrea Lessing was sorting through donated items at the Norman Goodwill in Oklahoma. That is when she felt something odd in between two sweaters. Upon further inspection, Lessing unearthed stacks of money, which she initially thought to be fake.

However, the cash was legit and totaled $42,000, a substantial sum that Lessing was sure someone was looking for. She sprang into action to track down the origin of the donation, which ultimately led her to the fund’s owner. Eventually, the man was located and told Goodwill to give Lessing $1,000 of the money before it was returned to him. The generosity brought some relief to the mother, who admits that the past year has been rough for her.

“Because of everything that’s been going on within the past year and a half, it just meant more than anyone could imagine. I didn’t return the money expecting a reward or expecting to be on the news. I just believe if you do something good, it will come back to you eventually. And it did.”

Goodwill praised Lessing, saying that she “showed integrity” when she could have been selfish and kept the money for herself.