Image Credit: PEXELS

A low-income mother filled up a basket with $30 worth of food earlier this week, even though her budget was in no shape to go emergency grocery shopping, so it was a massive relief when a stranger who she met in line paid the bill.

On Nov. 16, after learning about the state of major highways across B.C., Kim Bortolussi was worried about running out of food so she went to Walmart. It was the busiest she had ever seen the store, even compared to the panic-buying days of March 2020.

Some of the contents in her basket were two loaves of bread, some chicken and Mr. Noodles for her sons, who are six and 12 years old.

“My boys love those noodles,” she said. “And there were a lot of kids lunch snacks – that was my main concern because I don’t get paid until Friday. Things have been tough.”

READ MORE: B.C. storm disrupts supply chain, could have lasting impacts on economy: experts

While her children are the first priority, three adults in the household also have to eat – Bortolussi, her husband and her mother.

The crowds at Walmart were not aggressive, she said, but many shoppers appeared to be taking more than a fair share.

While waiting in the 30-minute long lineup, Bortolussi found herself in conversation with a retiree.

She mentioned to him how times are tough for her family. She lives paycheque-to-paycheque and getting enough food on the table sometimes requires her to collect bottles. Her youngest son, who is autistic, “doesn’t understand that if there’s no money we can’t get it.”

So when it was Bortolussi’s time to pay, she was “flabbergasted” that the retired man covered the cost before wishing her a Merry Christmas.

“I always read about things like this but you never think it’s going to happen to you,” she said. “He was just like a guardian angel.”

Bortolussi was brought to tears by the good deed.

READ MORE: Supply lines broken by flooding have people in Kamloops, Kelowna stocking up perishables, and toilet paper

The supply chain was disrupted by a series of slides over the past week and the severity is still being evaluated.

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