September 18, 2025 at 2:35 pm

One Home Depot Customer Helped A Stranger Without Thinking Twice, But Then She Learned He Didn’t Even Work There

by Benjamin Cottrell

home depot aisle

Unsplash/Reddit

Helping others doesn’t always require permission, or in the case of a home improvement store, a paycheck.

While browsing a Home Depot, one man decided to lend a helping hand to a stranger and ended up causing a domino effect of confusion and kindness.

You’ll want to read on for this wholesome tale!

Home Depot, orange shirt and old ladies

I went into a Home Depot with an orange shirt and saw an old lady struggling to pull a chair from a stack.

So I walked over and pulled it off the stack without her asking.

His helpfulness caught another woman’s attention.

I walked away, and then another lady said, “If you’re done helping her, then can you help me with __,”

To which I said, “Okay, I’ll do you this one favor, but I don’t work here.”

The first lady did a double take.

The first lady heard me and was shocked and said, “Wait, you don’t work here and you just helped me?”

“Uh huh.”

It was a small amount of effort in the grand scheme of things, but it left a big impression.

What did Reddit think?

An actual employee chimes in with their gratitude.

Screenshot 2025 07 14 at 11.06.54 AM One Home Depot Customer Helped A Stranger Without Thinking Twice, But Then She Learned He Didn’t Even Work There

Some people actually enjoy helping out.

Screenshot 2025 07 14 at 11.07.24 AM One Home Depot Customer Helped A Stranger Without Thinking Twice, But Then She Learned He Didn’t Even Work There

It only takes one person to start a domino effect.

Screenshot 2025 07 14 at 11.07.52 AM One Home Depot Customer Helped A Stranger Without Thinking Twice, But Then She Learned He Didn’t Even Work There

And it’s not just a shirt color that tips people off.

Screenshot 2025 07 14 at 11.08.20 AM One Home Depot Customer Helped A Stranger Without Thinking Twice, But Then She Learned He Didn’t Even Work There

Even though he didn’t work there, he walked away from the store knowing he made someone else’s day a little easier.

This guy didn’t need a name tag to do the right thing.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.