Gas Station Owner Raises Thousands For Widowed Customer In Need

ST. CLAIR SHORES, MI — The community is rallying behind a widow in a series of random acts of kindness, showing us the world still is filled with helpful people. It’s a local gas station owner taking the charge and raising money for his customer after he was inspired by a cop’s random act of kindness towards the woman.

It all started late last month, when an elderly woman came in for gas in a friend’s car. Owner Seth Kazz had seen her before. She lives nearby, and only gets a little gas each time she comes and often pays with change.

On this day, it was just $3 on the pump — that’s all she could afford.

A local cop saw the transaction and at first offered to pump the gas while the woman waited in her car. It was a car the woman borrowed that didn’t have air-conditioning. The officer felt compelled to do more.

He went inside, pulled out a $20 bill and paid for even more gas for the woman, Kazz said.

“Some days she has money for gas and groceries and some days she doesn’t,” shared Kazz, whose family has owned the Citgo at Little Mack and Martin for more than 20 years. “I believe it’s only right to help someone that’s struggling.”

Come to find out, the woman’s husband recently died and she has been struggling since to keep up with bills. Most months, she’s $1,000 behind, she told the officer. On top of that, she battles health issues and is currently in distress over a city tree ruining the foundation of the home she shared with her husband. Things have really piled up for the woman, he shared.

Kazz was so inspired by what he saw that day at his gas station that he decided to raise money for the woman. First, he thought about putting a jar up. Then he realized he’d get more reach using GoFundMe.

In just two days, Kazz surpassed his $5,000 goal. At press time, there was nearly $8,000 raised by some 225 people over just 48 hours.

Kazz is excited to help his customer and neighbor, but also grateful for the police officer who took his time to make her day.

“Nowadays there’s so much negativity towards police officers,” Kazz shared on Facebook. “No one respects them. We hear all the complaints and ‘bad’ stories. I’m not saying every officer is perfect, I’m sure some are at fault at times. We all make mistakes- but we should all respect, appreciate, and thank them for what they do.”

Leaving one’s family to protect and help others isn’t easy, Kazz added. But neither is sparking a community to take care of someone in need, which now, hundreds of people have done for this woman, thanks to the officer and gas station employee.

As for the woman, she is overjoyed at the gift she will be receiving.

“She’s called me 10 times to thank me,” Kazz told Patch with a laugh. “It was kind of cute, she was crying and she’s in shock. She can’t believe what’s happening and that so many people are helping her.”

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Image courtesy Seth Kazz