Finding surprise extras in your fast food order is usually a treat, whether it’s a promotional toy or fries in the bottom of the bag (or even just a few extra nuggets).
But for one Georgia woman, the surprise came in the form of hundreds of dollars in an envelope she found in her fast food order.
Joann Oliver went to KFC on 3rd Street in Jackson, Georgia on her lunch break last week and opened her sandwich to find $543.10 cash under the sandwiches.
Stunned, Oliver immediately returned the money to the local police, where an investigation determined that the restaurant’s daily deposit had been accidentally pocketed.
“Character and integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching,” the Jackson City Police Department wrote in a Facebook post about the incident. “Not only did Mrs. Oliver do the right thing, but she saved the manager’s job. Thank you Mrs. Oliver for reminding us that we have great citizens in Jackson and it’s people like you who make us great!”
Joan Oliver. (Credit: Facebook via The City of Jackson Police)
The local community praised Oliver in the comments, praising her for the work she did well and thanking her for doing the right thing.
“What if everyone had the honesty and integrity they have, what a beautiful world it would be,” wrote one Facebook user.
“Thank you for giving many people hope that honesty and integrity are still very much alive,” said another.
The police post has received hundreds of likes and has been shared more than 38 times.
“I started counting it and when I got to $500 I stopped and just put it back in the envelope, closed the envelope, put the sandwich back the way I got it and pushed it aside until the officer got here,” Oliver told local news channel WSB-TV 2 Atlanta. “If you don’t do the right thing, it will come back to you. I mean, it wasn’t mine. I didn’t have to keep it. I’ll get mine in the future.”
The outlet reported that Oliver received a free meal at KFC and her original bill was paid.