Watch The 18-Year-Old Employee Speak On Why His Christian Faith Compelled Him To Do The Right Thing
Earlier this month, on Good Friday (April 3), Jaydon Cintron, an 18-year-old Chick-fil-A employee in Kinston, North Carolina, found something incredible during his break: nearly $10,000 in cash on the floor of the bathroom.
What he did with the money, however, he says is attributable to his faith in Jesus.
Detailing the incident with WITN, Jaydon noted that the money was divided across two envelopes, with one labeled First Citizens Bank, containing $5,000; and the other being labeled Truist Bank, with $4,333 inside.
He recalled, “They were on the floor next to the toilet. My first thought was just, like, ‘OK, no, this isn’t happening. Something is wrong.'”
Exiting the bathroom with the money, he turned the full amount in to the store’s management.
When asked why he decided not to keep it, he Jaydon told WITN, “That’s not what Jesus would’ve done. That’s not what God would’ve wanted.”
Jaydon added, “Money is useless without character.”
From there, the Chick-fil-A management tried to identify the customer who lost the money by examining their security camera footage, but the effort was fruitless. However, by April 6, the owner of the money had come forward.
That individual offered Jaydon a reward of $500, which Jaydon initially rejected upon being implored to take it several times.
Jaydon stated, “I don’t want anything out of this. I did this because that’s what Jesus would do.”
Still, after declining the money several times, he finally accepted it.
In an email to PEOPLE, Jaydon wrote of the situation:
“I was in the right place at the right time, but more than that, my faith teaches me to do what’s right and to care for others. Knowing how devastating it would be to lose something like that, I just wanted to make sure it got back to its owner.”
He added, “I’m grateful I could help and I’m humbled by the response.”
John McPhaul, the owner-operator of the Kinston Chick-fil-A, also reached out to PEOPLE with a statement, saying, “We’re grateful for Team Members like Jaydon who demonstrate integrity and a genuine care for others.”
McPhaul added, “Acts like this reflect the values our restaurants aim to uphold each day, and we’re proud to see that lived out here at Chick-fil-A Kinston.”
Speaking with WITN, McPhaul added, “True leadership, you know, true integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Jaydon did that, in this case, and he should be commended for it.”
Chick-fil-A is famously a Christian company.
Watch Jaydon Cintron speak about finding the money on his local news station, WITN, here:
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