Someone paid off nearly $40K in layaways at Millville Walmart

The last couple of months for Nicole Trull have been tough.

In late October, her grandmother died after having been in hospice care at her Vineland home. Then, the day before Thanksgiving, her husband of 20 years died suddenly. In between it all, she was let go from her job at Dollar General.

So when she found out this weekend that a 'Secret Santa' had paid off all of the layaway balances -- totaling nearly $40,000 -- at the Walmart in Millville, she saw it as a 'blessing from heaven.'

"My daughter had found out the day that her layaway was paid," said Trull. "After she told me, I called Walmart and they told me it was true. It was a relief because there was finally some good news after everything that has happened."

Trull and her family were saving up for a $500 gift for a family member. Other members of the family were pitching in to help, but there was still a balance that had to be paid.

Trull's family were just one of the many beneficiaries of the generous act. According to Walmart spokeswoman Tara Aston, a person wishing to remain anonymous paid for all of the layaway items at the store on North 2nd Street.

"When customers quietly pay off others' layaway items, we're reminded how good people can be," Aston said. "The joy that comes from these transactions extends well beyond dollars and cents. We're honored to be a small part of these random acts of kindness."

Amanda Rivera was also impacted by the generous mystery buyer.

"It was great and a huge blessing," Rivera said. "We have four kids, so it was a huge help. It was a great gesture."

Rivera added that when she was at Walmart with others who had been notified that their layaway accounts had been paid, they were ecstatic. One woman, whose $1,200 account was paid for, was brought to tears.

"It was a blessing and very thankful to whoever did it," Trully said. "We are very thankful. With everything going on in the world. It shows that there are decent people still out there."

Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews. Find NJ.com on Facebook

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